Love Story
by GreenEyesFreckles87
Summary: Taylor is Olivia's younger sister, who's attending law school, and wants to become an ADA. When Rafael Barba joins SVU, he takes Taylor under his wing, and much more develops between them than the relationship of a mentor and its mentee. Begins with the episode 'Twenty-Five Acts'. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes - So, I recently fell in love with the new ADA, and thought up this fic. I know the title's probably dumb, but it's all I could think of for now. I'll most likely change it later. Please review! I'm already working on chapter 2, so the more feedback I get, the quicker this'll be updated!

The character of Taylor is based upon model and Victoria's Secret Angel Taylor (Marie) Hill. She's the picture I've assigned to this fic, but feel free to look her up on Instagram and such to see more of her. She's a true beauty and sweetheart.

I'll update my profile as we go with links to show you the outfits of Taylor's that are featured in each chapter.

Like I said, please review! I know first chapters tend to be boring, but I promise it'll get better!

* * *

Olivia sat in the Squad Room with Rollins, Fin, Amaro, and Munch, going over the elevator security footage from the previous night's party for 'Twenty-Five Acts' author Jocelyn Paley, where TV Show Host Adam Cain had assaulted her a second time.

"No, Rollins knows her stuff," said Captain Steven Harris, announcing his presence in the room, as the group debated whether or not the latest incident was indeed rape. "Wouldn't hurt the rest of you to keep up with the literature. So, Jocelyn ready to press charges?"

"We're ready to go to the DA," Olivia responded, rising from her chair.

"Well, which one?" asked Munch, his arms crossed over his chest. "They've all lawyered up since Delia Wilson named names."

"I got somebody," Harris smiled. "Rafael Barba."

"He's the guy that put away the two Johns for raping a prostitute," Amanda said, sitting forward in her chair, her voice already laced with admiration for the man, and that they could possibly get him to take Jocelyn's case, which defiantly seems to be right up his alley.

"Yeah, that was a tough case," agreed Olivia, before turning a questioning gaze onto their temporary Captain. At least, she sincerely hoped he was. Nothing against the man, but nobody could take Cragen's place. "I thought he was in Brooklyn."

"He was. Just requested a lateral to Manhattan. Guy's got big brass," Captain Harris stopped himself at the look on Olivia's face, quickly recovering, before turning his gaze onto the rest of the Squad. "Ego. Adam Cain's high profile, so's Jocelyn. He's perfect." Sucking in a deep breath, he looked at Olivia once more, before heading back into his office to begin making the necessary calls. "He'd be a good mentor for your sister too, if you'd like to bring her in on this one."

Olivia's dark brow quirked at this. She wasn't sure how she felt about bringing Taylor into this case and handing her off to someone she herself hasn't even met. To say she was a protective big sister would be an understatement.

* * *

Taylor was settled on the sofa in her and Liv's apartment, about twenty books open to certain pages around her, while she did her school work, which never seemed to end. She could easily afford to have her own place, her Father had plenty of money, but, after their Mother died, and Taylor came of age, she wanted to be with her big sister, and Olivia more than happily opened her home to her little sister.

Writing some notes down, using one of the pillows in her lap as a surface, Taylor looked up when her phone went off, and she sat forward to grab it off of the table, seeing Liv's name and photo on the screen, which made her smile, before she accepted it.

"Hey," Taylor greeted, using her shoulder to keep the phone in place, while she went back to writing her notes.

"Hey," Olivia responded, now sitting at her desk in the Squad Room.

"How's the case going?" asked Taylor. She knew a little about the case and had been here last night when Jocelyn came over after being raped again by the man at her own party. It broke her heart to see her that way.

"Uh, we're ready to go to the DA, and, uh, Captain Harris has suggested somebody to take it," said Olivia, absently fiddling with some papers on her desk, as she paused before continuing. "Listen, Harris thinks this new guy might be a good one for you to shadow. If you're up for it."

Taylor was surprised by that. She'd been waiting months for this to happen. She'd started shadowing Alex Cabot after she came back for a bit, before pretty much all of the ADAs disappeared off of the map when the whole scandal happened, and Olivia promised her, sooner or later, there'd be somebody to take her place, but she was beginning to lose hope.

"Really?" Taylor asked, closing her book over her notepad and pen, then beginning to sit up on the couch. "Is it all right with _**you**_ , Liv?"

Olivia laughed softly. "You're a grown woman, Taylor. I trust you. If you wanna do this, it's fine with me. You know I'll support you."

Taylor nodded her head, despite knowing her sister couldn't see the action. "Okay, I'll give him a shot then."

Olivia smiled softly, Taylor was so much more like her than she cared to admit. "Good. His name's Rafael Barba. Rollins, the Captain, and I are gonna meet him at an arraignment he has in a couple hours, if you wanna get down here."

Taylor got to her feet and headed out of the living room to get ready, a soft smile of her own on her beautiful face, unable to help being excited about this. "I'll be there soon."

* * *

After putting on her usual minimal make-up and doing her hair, Taylor put on a white turtleneck sweater, black jeans, and black suede ankle boots, as she was still in her PJs while she did schoolwork all day, then grabbed her phone, keys, and wallet, before heading out, locking up the apartment behind her, then catching a cab to the Court House.

* * *

Taylor met Amanda, Captain Harris, and Olivia at the Court House. Her sister had a smile and a hug waiting for her, while Amanda and Captain Harris offered her nods of their heads, and smiles of their own, before the four headed into the arraignment.

Quietly slipping into the court room, they stood back, and watched. Taylor's blue-green gaze found the man she'd be shadowing almost instantly and was unable to help the quirk of her dark brow at the sight of him. A very handsome older man, in a very nice suit. She'd always had a thing for older men, but, for obvious reasons, had never exactly shared that with Olivia. She didn't want her big sister freaking out and thinking she'd been the victim of statutory rape or something, even though she's been legally allowed to make her own decisions, including who she sleeps with, for two years now.

Not only was he handsome, but he was damn good at his job, and he was sassy. He had a way with words, he was charming, and he could slip quips into a serious environment like a court room.

"Come on, Barba," the defense attorney whined in a way that reminded Taylor of a child who didn't get what it wanted from the toy store, as his client was led away at the end of arraignment. "The Vic was drunk, her memory spotty. Aggravated assault."

The two men packed up their briefcases and met by the table to talk. Rafael already had a smirk on his face.

"Your client, a Jury takes one took at the simian carriage, the Neanderthal jaw, I'll get him convicted of kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby," replied Rafael, as the accused was handcuffed and led away by the Court Officer. "So, how about he takes Ten, and spares us all the humiliation?"

He lifted a hand and pat the other lawyer on his arm. The man looked defeated, giving a brief, "Call you in the morning.", before tucking his tail between his legs, and scurrying off.

Rafael turned to see Captain Harris standing there with three women, all beautiful, but the youngest one, wow. She was something special. As cheesy as it sounded, she was a ray of sunshine in this dreary court room.

"Captain," he smiled, making his way toward the group, and flicking his gaze over the three women. "Take your daughters to work Day?"

"Detectives Benson and Rollins, Rafael Barba," Harris introduced, before nodding his head at Taylor. "And this is the young lady I told you about, your new shadow, Taylor Mills."

Rafael shook Liv's hand, then Amanda's, before doing so with Taylor. Olivia did so with a friendly smile and her usual confidence, while Rollins actually looked a little shy, and Taylor was a different story entirely.

Rafael's large warm hand felt incredible against and around her much more slender limb, and the two of them locked eyes as they greeted one another, smiles on their faces, his more of a charming smirk, while Taylor's was sweet and, at the same time, quite sexy.

"I lied and told them you know your way around the courtroom," said Harris, but Rafael honestly didn't hear him. All the man could focus on was the breathtaking young woman in front of him, who's hand he still had yet to let go of.

* * *

Taylor, Olivia, and Amanda followed Rafael back to his office, Liv having given him the case file to look over while they did so.

"This girl, she appears credible?" Barba asked, as he lead the three women into his office, which Taylor looked around at as she followed in behind Liv.

It was pretty incredible. She'd never seen a single office so big and fancy, even with all of the unpacked boxes and unhung paintings littering the room, files and papers strewn about.

"She's concerned about perception," Olivia explained. "But she _**was**_ raped twice."

"I didn't ask if she was raped," Rafael responded, turning to face them once he was at his desk. "I asked if she appears credible."

"Okay, I know you _**have**_ to ask that ques-" Amanda began, but Barba cut her off.

"Reason being," stated Rafael, slapping the file down onto his desk, then lifting his gaze to the women, just as Taylor settled in between the two older females, and he was unable to keep his eyes off of her, as he went on. "we had a case about two months ago, red hook. Guy strangled a girl so hard her eyes had petechial hemorrhaging. Punk tells the Jury they met in a bar, she's into S&M. It's a complete lie. The Jury deadlocks." He shifted his gaze onto Olivia and Amanda for his next statement. "Later we find out half of them read your victim's book."

Olivia really wasn't feeling better about leaving Taylor with this man and her beautiful face scrunched up in an expression of question.

"Okay, I'm confused," she said. "Harris told us that you _**win**_ cases that everybody else _**ducks**_."

"Sometimes," Rafael smirked, flicking his gaze to Taylor, who was smiling in response, as he did so. "Let me talk to the victim."

"She's had a rough couple of days," Amanda said sadly.

"If we go forward, it's not gonna get any easier," responded Rafael.

Sucking in a deep breath, Olivia flicked a glance at Rollins, then nodded, returning her eyes to Barba. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

"Good," Rafael replied, before unbuttoning his suit jacket, and shedding it.

While Amanda headed out, Olivia turned to Taylor, and quirked a dark brow at her, unable to help the protective big sister in her from rising even more now that it was time to say, 'Goodbye'.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked.

"I'll be _**fine**_ , Liv," Taylor responded with a soft laugh.

Olivia flicked a glance at Barba, who was now settled in his chair, before returning her gaze to Taylor, smiling, and nodding. "Okay. I'll see you later."

The two sisters embraced and Olivia, a bit reluctantly, left the office, leaving Rafael and Barba alone together for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes - Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! Here's Chapter 2. I hope you enjoy! And please continue to review!

Also, I've updated my profile with the dress Taylor wears in this chapter. :)

* * *

"Please," said Rafael, lifting a large hand to gesture at one of the leather chairs in front of his impressive desk.

Taylor took the offered seat and crossed one of her long slender legs over the knee of the other, folding her delicate hands in her lap.

"So, Captain Harris told me that you're pre-law," Rafael stated, soon getting to his feet, and tucking his hands into the pockets of his slacks, as he made his way around the desk toward the breathtaking young woman. "And that you're only 19. How did that happen?"

Taylor shrugged. "Graduated High School a couple of years early, took college courses in addition to my normal schoolwork. It's really pretty simple."

Rafael chuckled. "Perhaps to a genius, it is."

"I never said I was a genius," Taylor said, with a shake of her long dark silky head.

"Well, you basically have to be to do the things you've accomplished," replied Rafael.

Taylor's brow narrowed, as she looked up at the man, who was now seated on the edge of his desk in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest. "You know, you don't have to interrogate me. I'm not a witness in one of your cases."

Rafael nodded in agreement. "True. But we _**are**_ going to be spending a lot of time together. We should get to know one another, don't you think?"

"So, when are _**you**_ going to start sharing?" Taylor asked, quirking a cocky brow at him, the way he was doing to her.

Rafael chuckled, nodding his perfectly styled head at her. "Touché."

He got up from his desk and headed around it once more, where he retrieved his suit jacket from the back of his chair, and began to don it.

"Come on," said Rafael. "I'll buy you lunch." He quirked his brow at her once again when she looked confused. "All I have is Scotch and you've still got two more years before I can offer you that."

Taylor laughed softly, before getting to her feet, and following his lead out of the office, unable to help the leap of her heart when he lifted a hand to her back to guide her as they walked.

* * *

"So, how was it?" asked Olivia, entering the living room from the kitchen, a glass of wine in her hands.

Taylor was back in her usual spot on the couch, her hair now pinned up in a bun, while she resumed the schoolwork she'd been doing earlier when her big sister called. That was hours ago and it was now night.

"It was fine," she responded.

"Yeah?" Liv inquired, settling on the sofa. "What are your first impressions of him?"

Olivia couldn't help but be worried. She'd seen the way the older man was looking at her little sister. Aside from the fact that she works in SVU, Liv's always had one eye on Taylor, and the other on any male who comes close to her. Her sister was beautiful, and young, smart, with a heart big enough for the entire World, just like her own, which didn't make any sense to Olivia, as the parent they shared was their Mother, and she certainly didn't seem to have much in the sensitivity department.

Taylor knew where this was going. Olivia knew her little sister's type. Older man, especially ones in suits. What could she say? Older men were so much better than those her own age, or close to it. Older men are mature, more likely to be successful, and they're experienced.

"I think he can win Jocelyn's case, if that's what you're asking about," replied Taylor, smirking slightly to herself, as she avoided what Liv was _**really**_ asking when it came to the DA.

"What else do you think about him?" Olivia pressed.

Taylor smirked outwardly now, lifting her blue-green gaze to her big sister's beautiful face, and quirked a dark brow at her. "You mean, do I find him attractive? Of _**course**_ I do, Liv."

"Listen, sweetie," Olivia began, setting her drink down on the coffee table, then reaching over to lay a hand on her sister's nearest thigh. "I know you like men like him. Older, well dressed, well spoken, charming. But I want you to promise me you'll be careful. Office romances, they're. . ." She paused, licking her lips, before going on, with a sad, soft smile. "They can be dangerous."

Taylor met her sister's gaze and she could see the seriousness in the brown orbs. She knew Olivia wasn't just talking about Brian Cassidy. This was about Elliot Stabler.

She set aside her book and notepad, sitting up on the couch, in order to better face Olivia, who's hand on her thigh she laid her own overtop of, giving it a reassuring squeeze, as she smiled softly at her beloved big sister.

"Olivia, I _**promise**_ ," said Taylor, and Liv breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're a grown woman," Olivia responded a bit sadly. She'd always felt responsible for Taylor. Their Mother had never really been such to either of them, even after 'hitting it big', and marrying Taylor's Father, another man named Bryan, who divorced her when he was unable to stand her drinking any longer.

Bryan had been granted full custody of Taylor, whom Olivia saw every change she got. Sadly, she suspected the divorce, and losing a major role in Taylor's life, had contributed to their Mother's death.

"And you're smart," continued Liv, shaking her head. "You're so damn smart. So much smarter than Mom. So much smarter than me. I know you can take care of yourself. But you're my little sister. And you have no idea how much I love you, Taylor. I'll _**never**_ stop looking out for you."

Olivia now had tears in her eyes and it broke Taylor's heart to see her like this. She'd seen her big sister cry more times than she could count in her life and Liv only deserved happiness and love.

Taylor sat up the rest of the way and reached over, drawing Olivia into her arms for an embrace, where she rubbed her older sibling's back through the material of her sweater.

"I know, Liv," she said. "And I love you too. _**So**_ much."

* * *

The next day was the day Rafael was meeting with Jocelyn Paley. Taylor awoke with a smile on her face. She knew it was probably wrong to be so excited about the trial. What had happened to Jocelyn was a horrible, _**horrible**_ thing that should've _**never**_ happened.

But she'd been waiting for this for what seemed like forever. And it may be silly of her, but she was beyond looking forward to more time with Rafael Barba.

Olivia, who was always awake and ready first, whipped them up a quick breakfast, while Taylor got ready, putting on her minimal make-up, doing her hair, and getting dressed.

They grabbed coffee on the way to the Court House, dropping Taylor off first, before Olivia went to pick up Jocelyn.

Rafael was already in his office, suit jacket off, and slung over his desk chair, when Taylor entered, coffee in one hand, and she offered the man a smile, as she walked over to the table to shed her things.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," Rafael responded, rooted into his spot by his desk, where he'd been going over the case file, as he watched her every move, his heart skipping a beat, when she set down her things, then removed her coat, revealing her beautiful young form clad in a cream colored dress, that hugged her body to perfection, and showed off almost the entirety of her long legs, until you reached the matching round toed high heels she had on, as well as a small portion of her toned tanned midsection.

Clearing his throat, he forced his eyes back onto the case file, while she approached him with the coffee she'd gotten for him. He didn't exactly look bad himself today, dressed in a grey suit, complete with a vest.

"Here," said Taylor, offering him the drink, as she leaned against the side of his desk.

"Thank you," responded Rafael, taking the coffee from her, their eyes locking as he did so, while his heart did a fresh stutter as his fingers grazed hers when he took the drink from her grasp into his.

Taylor nodded her dark silky head at him, then turned, and headed back over to the desk, speaking, while Rafael was unable to help but admire the view from behind, over the rim of his drink, as he took his first sip of the beverage. Wow, was this unprofessional. Not only was he her mentor, but he's got 20+ years on her. And, at the same time, he couldn't help it. In less than 24 hours, this girl had completely taken over him. Heck, she'd accomplished that in their first meeting at the arraignment yesterday.

* * *

"Did you and Adam Cain have any contact before the show?" asked Rafael.

Taylor sat next to him on his side of the table, while Olivia was with Jocelyn on the other.

"No, that was the first time we met," replied Jocelyn.

"And, after the show, he asked you out?" the man inquired next.

"Yes," Jocelyn said, lifting her hands to gesture as she spoke next, unable to believe how many times she has to tell the same story, answer the same questions. "I've gone over all of this."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Jocelyn," Olivia apologized, her beautiful face etched with an expression of the same emotion her voice was laced with. "But this is all part of the process."

"I have to know everything about you," Rafael stated. "Not just you and Cain. But you're whole personal history. Everything. Because the _**one**_ thing you decide to leave out is the _**one**_ thing the Defense is going to use to blow up the case."

Taylor hated how true that was. Women just aren't allowed to have _**any**_ secrets once they've been assaulted, making them feel violated all over again when _**every**_ aspect of their life is picked apart.

Jocelyn flicked a glance at Taylor, who nodded her head in agreement with the words Barba was saying. She believed her being there helped the woman. Olivia, of course, was a huge support system, but she was a Cop. Taylor was on the other side of the case, the law side of it, and she was a woman too, so it made Jocelyn feel not so attacked, or so vulnerable under the male DA's gaze.

"You may not like me when this is over," Rafael stated, sitting forward, and crossing his arms over the table.

"I don't like you _**now**_ ," Jocelyn responded, and Taylor pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at the woman's comeback.

"Honesty, _**good**_ ," Rafael smirked. "Let's start with your dating life. You currently seeing anyone?" He got up, walked around to the other side of the table, tucking his hands into his pockets as he went.

"No, I don't have time," replied Jocelyn.

"But you _**are**_ writing a dating advice column," Olivia brought up.

"Those who can't do, blog," Jocelyn quickly responded with her true statement.

Rafael seated himself on the table by the woman, gazing questioningly down at her. "Ever accused anyone else of rape?"

"No," she said, with a slight shake of her head.

"Have you ever been raped before?" he asked next.

"What? I just said, 'No'," Jocelyn looked up at him as she said that.

"They're not the same things," Rafael told her, before getting up, and beginning to walk around, reminding Taylor of a shark circling its prey. "Your dating life in college. Tell me all about it."

* * *

"Well, that was rough," Taylor stated, as Rafael closed the door behind Olivia, who was taking Jocelyn home, before she was going to meet the two of them back at the Squad. "Why didn't you just have her get on the table and spread her legs for you?"

Rafael nearly pinched his fingers in the door, which he shut a little louder than he'd meant to, at those words.

"Excuse me?" he said, turning to face the young woman, who was clearing up the table.

"You ever think about putting yourself in the victim's shoes?" asked Taylor, lifting her gaze to the man. "Maybe it'd help you realize they _**don't**_ want to reveal every single intimate detail of their life to you."

"I stated yesterday, Taylor, that if Jocelyn wants to go forward, it's not going to get any easier," Rafael responded, walking over to the table with his hands tucked into his pockets once more. "And I need to know everything about her, as I said earlier, in order to win this case."

"I know that's true," said Taylor. "But, let me ask you something, have _**you**_ ever been raped? Sexually assaulted in _**any**_ way?"

"No, I haven't," responded Barba.

"Then don't act like you have _**any**_ idea what these people are going through," Taylor said. "And maybe find a way to ask your questions in a manner that doesn't make them feel like they're being violated again, or that they somehow deserved what happened."

Rafael remained quiet this time, after she fell silent. He knew she was right. While he shouldn't sugar coat things for the victims, who deserve to know what they'll be going up against, he does concede that his execution of questioning could use some improvement.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I have you here now with me," he said, after a moment, being completely serious, speaking to the table, before lifting his eyes to hers from it once he was finished. "I saw how Jocelyn looked to you every time I asked her something personal. She trusts you, because you're a woman, a woman on my side of the table. And she needs that as we go forward."

"I'll be there for her," Taylor promised, not realizing how much she sounded like Olivia as she did so. " _ **Every**_ step of the way."

"Then maybe we'll get this bastard," Rafael smirked, a sight that Taylor was unable to help laughing softly at. "Come on."

He nodded his head at the door and donned his suit jacket, while Taylor grabbed her things, before the two left to go to the SVU Squad Room, his hand lifting once again to her back as they walked, in an action that was very quickly becoming pure instinct to him.

* * *

While Rafael talked with Amaro, Fin, and Much in one of the rooms, Taylor sat out in the main Squad area with Amanda and Liv.

"Jocelyn all right?" Taylor asked, looking up from where she was sitting at the table at her big sister.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, she'll be fine." Sucking in a deep breath, she sat down at the table with Taylor. "I prepared her as best as I could on the ride over, but she still wasn't expecting that."

"No one ever is," Amanda replied. "You'd think there was no such thing as Rape Shield, with how the victims have to justify every sexual encounter they've ever had before the attack."

Taylor was going through her phone, as the three women conversed. Her dark brow furrowed, when a text message from one of her best friends, Mia, popped up, with a link to a video on Adam Cain's website.

"What the. . ." Taylor said, without realizing she had spoken.

"What is it?" Liv asked, her brow furrowed in concern and question, as she and Amanda instinctively moved closer to the younger woman.

"Mia just sent me this link," responded Taylor, touching it, which brought up the video on her screen.

"Oh, my God," Amanda groaned, as a video of Adam Cain talking about how he's soon to be accused of rape began to play. "You've got to be kidding me."

Olivia pulled out her own phone and it didn't take her long to find the video, as it was on the front page of everything, and soon the three women were sharing a look.

"Go get them," Liv said to Amanda, gesturing at the room where the four men were, as she rose from her seat. "I'll get it up on the screen."

Amanda nodded and went to inform Amaro, Fin, Munch, and their new DA. Taylor sat forward in her chair, as Olivia pulled up the video on the main screens. Rollins returned a moment later with the men, and everybody surrounded the table, before Liv played it.

"Smart move," Amaro stated, as Amanda paused the video near its end after a few moments, Taylor beyond thankful when it was over, as the things Adam Cain was saying made her stomach churn. "Got out in front of it."

"Right out of Letterman's playbook," said Rollins.

"That's not fair," pipped up Munch. "Letterman didn't rape anyone."

"Just let him keep running his mouth," Fin said, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "Like the Counselor said, we'll take our time, but we'll get him."

Taylor leaned back in her chair, as the others spoke, and found her back coming into contact with one of Rafal's large hands, which he'd been grasping the back of the chair with, as the group watched the video. She flicked a glance up at him, and sat forward a tiny bit, to allow him to move it, as he gazed back down at her. She was more happy than she probably should've been when, once she leaned back again, he returned his hand to its previous position, this time allowing his fingers to rest over Taylor's slender shoulder.

"And in the meantime?" asked Olivia. "He can just use his show as a bully pulpit?"

Rafael nodded his perfectly styled dark head at Olivia. "Cain just forced our hand," he stated, before shifting his gaze to the paused video. "We have to strike back."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes - Wow! You guys are AMAZING! Seriously, thank you all SO much! I never could've expected all of this positive feedback when I started writing this story. Please, keep it up! Taylor's outfit for this Chapter, as well as a photo of Mia, the friend of hers mentioned last Chapter, have been added to my profile.

* * *

While the arraignment and the Grand Jury had gone smoothly, once the actual trial began, all Hell broke loose, especially when it was revealed that Jocelyn didn't write 'Twenty-Five Acts'.

Taylor had been there every step of the way, doing all she could to help Jocelyn, to help Rafael, to help SVU. It was defiantly one Hell of a ride for her, for her first trial.

The day prior, Court had been adjourned before Rafael could cross examine Adam Cain. He, Amanda, Liv, and Taylor had gone back to his office, where they discussed how Jocelyn's College Professor, the one who'd actually written the book, had been no real help to the case, before Fin and Munch came in, and announced Cain's previous three victims have all magically disappeared.

Taylor did not like it one bit when Rafael stated that maybe they could get Cain to open the door to his own previous bad acts himself. She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

The next day, in Court, Taylor sat beside Jocelyn, while Amanda and Rollins were in the back row. She'd become a major lifeline for the woman, and she was happy to hold her hand, literally.

"Jocelyn and I, there was a lot of heat," stated Adam Cain, who was now on the stand, being cross examined by Barba. "It was exciting."

Jocelyn tensed up beside Taylor, causing her to instinctively reach over, and lay a slender hand over the woman's own delicate limb, and send her a comforting look.

"She remembers it differently," Rafael responded, still seated in his chair at the table.

"She was playing the role of a Sexual Submissive, now she's playing Victim," Cain immediately retorted, 'causing Taylor to roll her eyes.

" _ **Pretending**_ to be a Sexual Submissive?" asked Rafael.

"She just told us that," Cain said.

"That's right!" Barba held up his hands, laughing. "That's right. That's right."

He got up from the table then, buttoning his jacket, as he walked around to its front. "She was inexperienced." Rafael lifted his gaze to the man next. "But you weren't."

"Not entirely," the accused replied.

"Mr. Cain," Rafael started next, gesturing around with his hands, as he appeared to stumble with his words. "What. . . excites you about having sex with, uh, Jocelyn?"

Cain laughed. "What excites _**anyone**_ about sex?"

"Was it the belt?" asked Rafael, his tone suddenly serious and a bit frightening, continuing when Cain looked at him questioningly. "The belt. That was her idea. Even though she was pretending."

"She wanted to try Role Play," Cain nodded, causing Jocelyn to tense up further, so Taylor gave her hand a squeeze.

"How do you, uh, start something like that?" Rafael inquired, with a slight smirk.

"With the belt?" Cain asked, getting uncomfortable now that it was _**him**_ being asked personal, intimate questions.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just, you take your belt off, or. . .?" Rafael laughed, going back to a uncertainty and slightly embarrassed tone, as he took a few more steps toward the witness stand.

"That's right," Cain responded with another nod, saying with his expression, 'Is this man serious?'

"And you give her a few hits with it?" questioned Rafael, flicking a glance over at Jocelyn with Taylor as he did so. He met Taylor's gaze as he did this, seeing the question on her beautiful face, but doing his best to convey, through the quick few seconds, in his eyes, to trust him with this.

"She seemed to enjoy it," said Cain smugly. God, Taylor wanted to punch the smirk right off of his face.

"Then you put the belt around her neck," Rafael went on, lifting his hands to imitate the actions he was speaking of.

"Yes."

"Then you get behind her," he continued, moving closer to Cain as he did so, once more resembling a shark circling its prey, and, she didn't know why, but Taylor became more and more uneasy the closer he got to the monster masquerading as a man. "Tighten it."

"Yes, to increase her pleasure," Cain was getting annoyed. "I'm not sure what this has to do-"

Rafael cut him off. "Just bare with me." He leaned against the front of the witness stand. "Where was the _**buckle**_?"

"I don't know if I can be more specific. Would you like me to show you?" asked Cain, shifting in his chair.

"Well, actually. . ." Rafael responded.

"Objection! Your Honor!" Calhoun, Cain's Lawyer, shot up from her chair so fast, it was as if something had shocked her, and she wasn't the only one having a reaction like that.

Taylor stiffened in her seat. What the Hell was Rafael doing? She unknowingly tightened her hold on Jocelyn's hand and found the victim turning the comfort onto her, gently squeezing Taylor's hand this time, while also continuing to draw support from the young girl.

Rafael turned on the Defense Attorney and held up a hand, as he explained. "As a Regular Joe, I am curious about how this belt around the neck thing is exciting. I am _**sure**_ , Your Honor, that the Jury is curious as well."

' _Oh_ , _my_ _God_ ,' Taylor thought. ' _ **What**_ _the_ _Hell_ _is_ _he_ _doing_?' She flicked a glance over her shoulder at Liv and Rollins, and was glad to see her sister and Amanda were just as surprised as she was.

"I'll allow it," the Judge said, quickly speaking up again when Calhoun shot her a look of such surprise, it looked like her face might freeze that way. "For _**now**_."

Rafael nodded, lifting a hand to unbutton his suit jacket, as he moved over to his table once more. "So, let's go back." He turned to look at Cain, while he undid his buckle. "You took off your belt?"

Taylor felt a bit bad right now, as she was momentarily distracted by Barba taking off his belt, but she quickly shook the feeling of attractiveness off.

"That's right," nodded Cain.

" _ **You**_ did it? Not her," asked Rafael, pulling his belt free of his suit slacks.

"Correct," Cain responded.

"You looped the belt like this," Rafael slipped the other end of the belt through the buckle, then lifted it, and, to the shock of every member of the Court Room, placed it snugly around his neck.

Taylor's horror was overshadowed by the look on Calhoun's face at Rafael's actions and she had to press her lush pink lips together to keep from laughing at the expression of disbelief etched on the female lawyer's visage.

"Something like that," said Cain.

"You led her to the bed," Rafael continued, stalking toward the man once more, while making sure the belt was secure around his neck. "Got on top. Pulled it."

"The game she wanted to play," Cain stated simply.

" _ **She's**_ the one who wanted it rough?" Rafael continued after Cain firmly responded with a, 'Yes!' "But you didn't rape her?"

"No, we've gone over this," an annoyed Cain said. "What don't you get?"

"Oh, I get it. It's the classic mindset of the Rapist - Admit what you can't deny. Deny what you can't admit," Rafael quickly retorted.

"Objection!" said Calhoun, beginning to rise from her seat.

"Withdrawn," Rafael responded, before the Judge could even process it, then, to everyone's shock, turned to put his back to Cain. "You said she wanted it rough, so show me how she liked it."

Taylor squeezed Jocelyn's hand and the woman placed her other limb overtop their two joined ones. She knew she had a bad feeling for a reason yesterday, when Rafael basically said that maybe they could get Cain to screw himself, and this was why. He had his belt around his neck and was now freely offering the Rapist a chance to strangle him. Taylor's heart was beating so fast, she was sure the rest of the Court Room could hear it, and it was deafening to her.

"No, show me, show me how she liked it," said Rafael, avoiding Taylor's gaze as he spoke, since he knew, if he looked at her, he might not be able to go through with this, while both Cain and his Lawyer protested.

"Let's precede cautiously, Mr. Barba," the Judge urged.

"All right. Take the belt in your hands, Mr. Cain," said Rafael, before inhaling a somewhat deep breath to prepare himself for what could possibly happen, then continuing when the man did as he said. "Feel the leather. Hold the belt. Now show me how you pulled on the belt."

Jocelyn stiffened once more, and Taylor responded by reaching over, then placing her free hand, the only unoccupied one left between the two women, overtop their others. Both of their hearts were beating so fast, the tension in the room was so thick, and it was so silent, aside from the sound of the leather of Rafael's belt.

Cain gave the slightest of pulls on the belt and Rafael looked annoyed.

"You can do better than that," he said.

Cain yanked again, a bit harder, and Rafael scoffed.

"You call that being dominant?" he asked. "Show me. Show me. Show me! Pull it. Pull it. Pull it! Tell me how you like it! Show me how you like it, Mr. Cain. Come on. Pull it. Pull it!"

"Like _**this**_!" Cain broke. He stood up, placed his other hand on Rafael's shoulder, pushed there, and pulled the belt as hard as he could. The ADA's air supply was abruptly cut off and he gasped for breath, instinctively lifting a hand to grasp at the object around his neck.

The Court Room reacted. The Jury looked horrified, Calhoun quickly objected, and, were it not for her hold on Jocelyn's hands, Taylor was sure she would've gotten up, gone to Rafael's aid.

"All right! That is _**enough**_ , Mr. Barba!" the Judge demanded, and, thankfully, Cain let go, causing Rafael to stumble forward, coughing.

A tear slipped free from Jocelyn's eyes, as her mind transported her back in time to the night of the first rape. Her grip on Taylor's hands, and vice versa, was so strong, she was sure they'd both lost feeling in the limbs, and would notice it, where the two of them not in their own different states of shock and horror.

Rafael removed the belt from around his neck, continuing to cough for a moment, before laughing, as he straightened up, and turned to smile at Cain, gesturing at his neck while doing so.

"Not a mark," he said. Rafael tossed his belt onto his table, unable to help meeting Taylor's gaze, as he flipped open one of the files there, and his repeating of the phrase next was more directed at her, when he saw the look of horror at what he'd done and the concern she felt for him on her beautiful face, which pained him more than being choked by Cain. "Not a mark."

Taylor tried to relax. It was over, Rafael was unhurt, or so it appeared, and the Jury had seen Cain for what he really was with a belt.

"Not a mark," Barba said a third time, as he held up a brutal photo to the Jury. "People's Exhibit 20 - Jocelyn Paley's neck after their 'consensual' sex game." He turned the picture to Cain next. "Is _**this**_ what excites you about sex, Mr. Cain? _**Hurting**_ your victims?"

Cain looked unphased by what had just transpired and coldly responded to the photo. "She liked it like that."

"You mean, Jocelyn?" asked Rafael, shaking his head, as he quickly walked forward, and placed the photo before the man. " _ **You**_ liked it like that. She didn't."

Taylor looked over at Jocelyn, as Rafael returned to his table, and the Court Room fell silent once more. She freed one of her hands from their pile of limbs, and wrapped her arm around the woman's shoulders, hugging her, as Jocelyn wiped away her tears.

* * *

Rafael knew exactly what was waiting for him in his office later, a very angry, beautiful young woman.

"Are you _**insane**_?" Taylor demanded to know, walking toward him from where she'd been standing by his desk as he entered. "Cain could've _**killed**_ you."

"Good thing you were there to save my ass," smirked Rafael, as he set his briefcase in one of the chairs at the table.

"This isn't funny," sighed Taylor.

Rafael nodded, he knew she was actually upset, and it hurt him to also know he'd caused her pain. "I know." Sucking in a deep breath, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants, as he moved closer to her. "But I had _**one**_ chance to show the Jury what Cain was _**really**_ like and I _**took**_ it."

Taylor gently shook her dark silky loosely curled head. "It's not worth your life, Rafael."

That was the first time she'd called him by his first name. It was usually 'Counselor' or 'Mr. Barba'. And Rafael immediately knew he liked his name a billion times more when it was spoken by her.

"And, even if we win, I don't think it'll be worth the pain it caused you," he said, meeting her blue-green eyes with his own emerald ones, as he moved even closer, pulling his large hands from his pockets, then reaching out, and grasping her much more slender limbs with them.

Taylor's hands warmed in his grasp, the physical contact sending comforting waves of warmth throughout her, and the feeling was mutual, as her touch did the same to him.

"Are you _**sure**_ you're all right?" she asked, gently pulling one hand free, then lifting it to touch a side of his neck, her eyes checking for any marks from the belt that haven't formed until now, later after the incident.

Rafael raised his hand and grasped hers touching his neck, which, truth be told, _**was**_ a little sore, but her skin against his was like a healing balm.

"I'm _**sure**_ , Taylor," he responded, holding her delicate wrist in his grasp, and absently beginning to rub his thumb over it as he did so.

Taylor sighed softly, and Rafael stepped closer, moving his large hands to her tiny waist, then winding his arms around her form, and using the hold to gently pull her to him.

"Come here," he said softly.

Taylor wrapped her slender arms around Rafael's neck, mindful of any areas that could be sore, despite his stubborn male insistence that he's fine, and they held one another for the first time, here, in his office.

"It's okay," he whispered, moving one of his hands up to gently grasp the back of her neck through her veil of dark silky tresses, while his other arm remained in place around her waist. "I'm okay."

Taylor closed her eyes, the blue-green orbs filled with a light sheen of tears of a mixture of concern and relief, and tightened her hold on him, burying her beautiful face into his strong, warm, suit clad shoulder, while Rafael soon found himself turning his head, in order to press a sweet little kiss into her light chocolate locks, that smelled like roses.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes - You guys are seriously amazing! Thank you all so much for the reviews! Please keep it up! Here's Chapter 4! It's quite heartbreaking, NGL. I teared up writing it, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

(By the way, can anybody tell me why the links aren't appearing in my profile? If there's a way to fix it, let me know. In the mean time, Mia is modeled after actress Elisabeth Harnois, and four characters in this chapter (Caroline, Matt, Tyler, and Vicki) are modeled after characters of the same names from the TV show 'The Vampire Diaries', if you guys would like to look them up, since I can't post links.)

* * *

"So, how's New York?" asked Mia. "Any cute guys?"

Taylor smiled, as she sat on her bed in her room at Liv's apartment, her phone on sneaker on a pillow in front of her.

"Oh, you have no idea," she replied to her best friend.

"Really?" Mia laughed, before a soft little sigh escaped her. "Well, I miss you, sweetie."

Taylor smiled again. "I miss you too."

Taylor and Mia had grown up together, especially after Taylor's parents divorced, and she'd moved in with her Father. He and Mia's Dad were friends from their days in the Military, and Mia's Mother had been more of one to Taylor than her and Olivia's.

"You know, you can always come visit," Taylor said next, as she went through one of her law books, and jotted down some notes.

Mia laughed, "Yeah, that'd be a good way to kill my Dad."

Taylor rolled her blue-green orbs. "It's not Rape and Murder-ville here, like he thinks."

Mia was currently all the way across the Country, in California, going to school, where she was pre-Med.

" _ **I**_ know that, and _**you**_ know that, but my Father does _**not**_ know that," Mia responded. "But I _**will**_ come visit you, sweetie. I promise. Try and save some of the cute guys for me."

Taylor laughed once more. "I'll try, no promises."

Mia had the same taste in men that Taylor did - older. And Mia currently had her eyes on one of her Professors, who was also a Doctor at the hospital where she was Interning. His name was Jason and he was Irish. Accents are always a bonus.

"How's the case going? That video I sent you help?" Mia asked next.

"Yes, it did. Thank you so much, Mia!" exclaimed Taylor.

"I'm sure you guys would've found it, but I decided to look up that asshole myself, and he just happened to post it at the same time," responded Mia.

"The Jury's still out," Taylor sighed, picking up her phone to look at the date and time quickly, before setting the item back down. "For two days now."

"I don't know how that's possible," said Mia. "From what you told me, and the news reports, your new ADA handed them his ass on a silver platter."

Taylor was unable to help but smile at Mia's mention of Rafael. The two of them had been spending some time together since the trial came to a close, but, until the Jury reached a Verdict, there wasn't much to do, and Taylor didn't want to bother Barba while he worked on other, more minor, cases.

"Yeah, he did. Nearly gave me a heart attack doing it, but he defiantly did, at least in my opinion," Taylor stated.

"You're _**completely**_ in love with him, aren't you?" Mia asked, and Taylor could _**hear**_ the smirk she knew was on her best friend's face in her voice.

Sighing softly, Taylor flicked a glance over at her closed bedroom door. She didn't want Liv to hear anything like that, despite the fact that there wasn't anything wrong with her and Rafael's relationship, and what it might turn into.

"I don't know about _**that**_ ," Taylor replied, a soft smile gracing her features. "But there's defiantly something there."

"You can continue to tell yourself you're not in love with him, but I know you, Taylor. I know that tone of voice. And I've seen you and he together on the Courthouse steps on the news," smirked Mia over the phone.

Taylor sighed, she hated she was so far from her best friend, who was like a sister to her, that the only way Mia could see her was on the news. She reached over and grabbed her laptop, pulling it closer, then doing a quick search, which brought up the pictures and videos Mia was speaking of. Taylor and Rafael _**did**_ look good together, she wasn't going to lie. And not just because they both looked like they were doing a photoshoot for a fashion magazine.

"So, you've seen him," Taylor said, pushing her laptop away.

"Yeah!" Mia exclaimed. "And he's very handsome, sweetie. What's he like? Aside from what I see on the news."

"Well, unlike Matt, he can take and make a joke," sighed Taylor, and a silence fell over the phone call once she was done speaking.

"I'm sorry," Taylor said after a moment, closing her law book over her notepad and pen, then shoving them aside more forcefully than necessary. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, sweetie," Mia started, and Taylor knew the exact look her best friend had on her face as she spoke.

"I have a lot of studying to do, Mia," said Taylor, picking up her phone from the pillow.

"Okay," responded Mia, her voice sad and concerned. "Call me if you need me. I love you."

"I love you too," Taylor said quickly, before ending the call.

She sat there for a moment, her mind taking her back in time, before she snapped out of it, and tossed her phone onto the pillow, then leaned back in her bed, crossing her arms over her chest, her blue-green orbs filling with a light sheen of tears.

* * *

 _ **Two**_ _**Years**_ _**Ago**_

A bright smile currently alit Taylor's face, as she stood on the sideline of the football field with her fellow Cheerleaders. It was one of the last games before Homecoming.

"Go, Wolves!" she shouted, helping to pump up the crowd, as she clapped her pom poms together above her head, her long dark silky locks pulled into a perfect ponytail, and adorned with a bow of the school's colors, like the rest of her uniform, save for her white sneakers.

"Hey! Tay!" called a voice.

Taylor looked over to see her boyfriend, Matt, one of the team's Quarterbacks, coming toward her, dressed in his own uniform, his helmet clutched in one hand. She quickly excused herself and walked over to him.

"Hey!" she greeted, with a fresh bright smile. "Come for a 'Good Luck' kiss?" She asked, with a playful quirked dark brow.

Matt chuckled and smiled his adorable smile. "Uh, no. I wanted to see if you'd give anymore thought to what I asked you."

Taylor's beautiful face fell and a soft smile slipped from her lush pink lips. "Matt, I told you. It's too soon. And you know I don't like my whole future being planned out for me."

"It's not your whole future," he smiled.

"No, it's just a major part of it!" Taylor retorted angrily, before sighing softly, at the look her words caused Matt's handsome face to take on. "Matt, look, I love you. You know I love you. So, why do we have to do this _**now**_? We've got our whole lives in front of us."

"Right," Matt nodded, and Taylor immediately knew he didn't believe her.

The Coach blew his whistle, signaling it was time to gather up, and head onto the field to start the game.

"Look, just give me something, Taylor. _**Anything**_ ," said Matt, reaching out to grasp her slender hands with his large ones, his helmet slung onto his arm. "Just give me something to hold onto while I go out there. Something to look forward to."

Taylor hated him putting her on the spot like this, especially since she could feel the eyes of her Squad burning a whole into the back of her head. She tried to do as he asked, tried to speak some reassuring words, but she just couldn't.

Matt nodded his head sadly, letting go of her hands so quickly, it left the limbs feeling cold. "Right. Got it."

"Matt," Taylor began, taking a step forward, as he began to move away from her.

"I gotta get on the field," he said. "I'll see you later, Taylor."

Turning, Matt put on his helmet, and began jogging to join where his Team was waiting for him to go onto the field together. Taylor sighed as she watched him, before walking, defeated, back to her friends.

"You okay, sweetie?" Mia asked, lifting a hand to her best friend's back.

"Yeah," Taylor smiled reassuringly.

"All right, come on, girls! There'll be plenty of time for chit chat after we win this game!" Caroline, their friend, and the Captain of the Squad, called.

Mia and Taylor shared a knowing look, Caroline was all business when it came to things like Cheerleading, dances, and parties, but she was a sweetheart outside of the OCD prissiness, then the two headed back in, returning to gearing up the crowd, while the teams met on the field, and the game began.

* * *

For the first quarter, things were going well. Matt and his team were up, 2 to nothing. It was in the second half that all Hell broke loose in.

Taylor's eyes were on her boyfriend the entire time she was cheering. She could tell he was a bit off. He still helped score two touchdowns, but it was obvious what had happened pre-game was affecting him. She flicked a glance at the clock on the score board. Only three more minutes until halftime. She was going to find Matt, even if it angered Caroline, and do everything she could to make it better. Not for the game, because, despite being a Cheerleader, she could care less about, but for Matt. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

Taylor watched, as Matt caught the football one of his team members tossed him from all the way down on the opposite side of the field, but, before he could even turn, and make a run for the end zone, two of the players from the challenging team tackled him, and the three men fell to the ground, while all of the energy and excitement was sucked out of the field, the crowds groaning at the gruesome scene, before an eerie silence fell over the stands.

Taylor's eyes widened in horror, as the two players climbed off of Matt, who laid on the ground, unmoving. The whistles were blown and people began moving onto the field, Matt's Coach calling for help.

"Matt?" said Taylor, her legs, before she even realized she was moving, beginning to carry her out onto the field, her grasp going dead, causing her pom poms to fall carelessly to the ground. "Matt! Matt!"

Taylor ran out onto the field, her friends following her, quickly becoming hysterical, especially the closer she got to his still form.

"Matt! Oh, my God! Matt! Matt!" she screamed, soon halted a few feet from her boyfriend, when one of his friends, whom she would've recognized as Tyler, were she not in tears, grabbed her, and prevented her from going any further. "Let me go! Let me see him! Matt? Matt!"

Caroline and Mia were among Taylor's friends from the Squad that went to her as Tyler restrained her, and attempted to comfort her, while the Paramedics the school kept on call for games and such came running onto the field.

"Matt! Matt, wake up! _**Matt**_!" Taylor continued to scream, struggling against the holds on her, her tear filled blue-green orbs locked onto what of him she could see through the legs of the people surrounding him.

* * *

"Matt!" Taylor screamed, sitting straight up in her bed in her room at Liv's apartment.

She relaxed when she realized it'd been a dream, a nightmare, a memory, and lifted a hand to touch her forehead, as she sat there, shaking, breathing hard.

A few seconds later, the door to her room burst open and Olivia, clad in her pajamas, came in, wielding her gun, and Taylor held up a trembling hand to her frightened big sister.

"It-It's all right, Liv," she stammered. "It was just a dream. I'm-I'm okay. I promise."

Olivia relaxed, her instincts as a Detective had kicked in the second she heard her little sister scream from her room next to her own.

"Taylor," she breathed, tucking her gun into the back of her pants, then swiftly moving forward, and sitting on her bed. "What is it?"

Olivia lifted a hand to tuck some of Taylor's long dark silky locks back from her beautiful face, which resembled the expression of someone who'd just seen a ghost.

"What is about Matt?" she asked, with a quirked brow. It wasn't the first time Taylor had woken up, screaming and shaking, from a nightmare about her beloved childhood sweetheart and High School boyfriend.

Taylor choked on any words she'd hoped to speak, so she merely nodded, and sent her big sister a weak smile.

"Oh, sweetie," Olivia sighed, sitting forward, and drawing her into a hug. "Come here. It's okay."

Taylor happily went into her big sister's warm, loving embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around Liv, and crying softly into her shoulder.

"It's okay, Taylor," whispered Olivia, rubbing her sibling's slender back, and cradling the back of her head. "It's okay."

* * *

Olivia had insisted that Taylor stay home the next day. She promised she, or somebody else, would call if the Jury reached a Verdict.

Taylor sat on the couch in the living room once more, still in her PJs, her hair pulled up into a bun, as she flicked through a photo album, which, in this digital age, were nearly a thing of the past, but Caroline had made Mia and Taylor each a scrapbook for Graduation, since they both did so earlier than everyone else.

She paused on a photo of herself and Matt, taken in the hallway during classes. Both were smiling, Matt wearing his red and black Lettermen jacket, as he stood with an arm around Taylor, who leaned against him, her hands holding her books and such.

"I miss you so much, Matty," Taylor sighed, running her delicate fingertips over the photo.

* * *

 _ **Two**_ _**Years**_ _**Ago**_

Taylor carried a bouquet of flowers in her slender hands, a bag of other things slung over her shoulder, as she approached the house. It was Matt's sister, who was a few years older than him, Vicki, that answered the door.

Their Dad had disappeared when they were young and their Mother was in and out of their lives, a drinker like Taylor and Olivia's Mom, so the siblings lived alone, Matt working a part time job at the local bar/restaurant where Vick was a waitress, to help make ends meet.

"Hey, Taylor," Vicki smiled at her. Taylor was always here, and the hospital previously, every day, before and after school, since the accident. And she was here even more now that she'd Graduated early two weeks after that. "Come on in."

Taylor entered the house, pausing to hug Vicki, before Matt's big sister gestured down the hall.

"Matt's in his room," she said. "Go ahead."

Taylor walked her familiar path to her boyfriend's room, while Vicki closed the front door behind her. She was surprised there wasn't a worn line in the carpet, with how many times she goes up and down it, every day.

Taylor freed a hand from the flowers, in order to knock gently on Matt's bedroom door, before she entered, a soft smile on her beautiful face.

"Hey, Matty," she said, as her blue-green eyes fell upon him in his bed.

Matt had been paralyzed, from the neck down, as a result of the brutal tackle during the football game. His bed was a hospital bed and nearly everything in his room, and he and Vicki's house, had been modified to accommodate him now being confined to a wheelchair.

"Hey, beautiful," he responded from where he was propped up in his bed, sending her a soft smile, as she came in.

Taylor walked over to him, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to his lips. He kissed her back and was smiling brightly when she straightened up. She held up the fresh roses and moved to his nightstand to replace them with the wilting ones.

"Oh, thank you," Matt said, watching her every move.

Taylor tossed the wilting flowers into the trash and placed the fresh ones into the vase, smiling softly, as she spread them out. She always left something with Matt when she couldn't stay the night, so he'd have something of hers, that smelled like her, to comfort him.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Taylor asked, grabbing her sweater off of the foot of Matt's bad, and putting it into her bag, while pulling out one of her favorite scarves to leave him. "Wanna go to the movies? Mia won't stop talking about that Superhero movie."

Matt laughed softly at Taylor's words about their friend. "You know you wanna see it too. Good looking guys saving the World?" He quirked a dark blond brow at her.

Taylor scoffed, moving around the bed to his side once more. "I don't need to go to a movie to see that. My good looking Superhero is real and already in my life." She leaned down and pressed another kiss to his lips.

Matt wasn't smiling when she pulled back and her own soft smile faded, as she sank down into the chair set beside his bed. She'd meant what she said, but she knew he didn't believe her.

"You mind if we stay in today, beautiful?" Matt asked, turning his head against the pillow to look at Taylor.

"Yeah, of course," Taylor said with a bright smile, nodding her dark silky head at the TV mounted on his wall. "We'll browse Netflix."

She reached out and grasped Matt's nearest hand, giving it a squeeze, before rubbing it gently with her delicate thumb. He couldn't feel it, but he knew it was happening, as he could see it.

* * *

Matt and Taylor spent the day watching Netflix, laughing, crying, groaning, eating whatever they wanted. Taylor laid next to him in his bed, cuddled against his side, her head on his shoulder.

She was probably the only girl she knew of that didn't enjoy 'chick flicks' or 'romantic comedies', which the guys at school would joke to Matt just made Taylor even more of the perfect girlfriend.

The last movie they watched was one of their favorites, Die Hard. Matt always teased Taylor that she enjoyed it mainly because there was a hot older guy wearing a suit in it.

"Hey, Alan Rickman is like a fine wine," Taylor stated, as she got up from the bed. "He just gets better with age."

Matt laughed, as Taylor fetched the X-Box controller, and soon flicked a questioning glance at him.

"So, what do you wanna watch next? Or is it time for another Meatlovers pizza?" she said, quirking a playful brow over at him.

"Tay, can you just. . . come here?" he asked, suddenly serious, after he turned his gaze onto the window, and saw it was dark out.

Taylor's smile faded and she nodded, setting the controller down, then making her way back to the bed. "Yeah, of course." She climbed back into bed with him and resumed her previous position.

Matt wanted more than anything right now to lift his arms and wrap them around her, hold her like she does him.

"I love you, Taylor," he said, turning his head to bury his nose into her silky tresses. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Right back at you," she responded, lifting her head to look up at him.

"And I want this day to be the last thing I remember," Matt said next.

Taylor's brow furrowed at his words and she pushed herself up into a bit of a sitting position. "What?" She laughed softly. "What are you talking about, Matty?"

"Tay, you know I don't have much longer," responded Matt. "The Doctors, they keep trying to prolong a life I never wanted to live in the first place. My organs are failing and they're talking about transplants. I don't wanna take the healthy organs that someone else could use to go on and put them in my sick, dying body. And, even if I did, I can't work. Vicki's pulling double shifts just to pay the bills."

"Matt, stop it!" Taylor snapped, getting up quickly from the bed. "You're not dying!"

Sighing softly, she moved back once she realized how she'd reacted, and sat down once more, this time facing him, where she reached out, and grasped his hand, smiling softly.

"Matty, just. . . Please don't talk like this," said Taylor. "We have our whole lives ahead of us and we're going to live them together, remember? And, if it's money you need, I'll talk to my Dad."

Matt gently shook his head. "Your Father's already done enough, Taylor. Besides, I love you way too much to saddle you with someone like me for the rest of your life. Or mine. However long it is, it's still too long, and too much of yours for me to take away. I can't. . ." His blue eyes filled with tears, which soon slipped free to glide down his cheeks. "I can't give you what you deserve. I can't walk down the aisle with you, I can't dance with you, I can't give you children, and you're too Maternal to not have children, Tay."

Taylor shook her long dark silky head, even as her own blue-green orbs filled with tears. "There you go again. Planning our whole future in one night." She leaned forward, lifting her hand to cup a side of his handsome face, brushing away his tears with her thumb. He leaned into her touch like a kitten. He couldn't help it. It was the only area of his body where he could actually feel her.

"Matt, I love you. And I'm grateful for _**every**_ day that I get to spend with you," she said. "We just take it one day at a time, remember?"

"I won't be able to make love to you," he said next, causing Taylor to close her eyes, which made her own tears slip free. "You don't know how much I crave your touch. To feel your hands, your lips, on my face, because it's the only place I can actually _**feel**_ you. And I hate that I'll never be able to touch you again."

"Matt," Taylor said, before inhaling a trembled breath. "You know that I would love to be with you again like that. But it's not important. We've known each other since we were little. Our relationship is so much more than that."

Matt shook his head, smiling sadly. "I still can't ask you to live without it. You're so beautiful, Taylor. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever known. You deserve to be with somebody who can worship you the way I used to, who can give you everything I wanted to. You deserve to be happy and loved."

"I _**am**_ happy and loved," Taylor said, tightening her grip on his hand, while continuing to rub his cheek with her delicate thumb.

"Taylor, _**please**_ ," Matt pleaded. "Just let me go. Let me go while I'm with you, while I'm happy and loved too." He turned his head to the side, and fixated his gaze on his I.V. "All you have to do is turn up the pump and I'll just drift off to sleep."

Taylor's eyes slipped closed once more at Matt's words. Not only did he want her to let him go, but he wanted her to be the one to actually end his suffering. She guessed she deserved it. Had she not rejected him the night of the game, his accident may not have happened.

"Let me hold you one more time, and be held by you, while I go to sleep," said Matt, returning his gaze to Taylor.

Taylor knew Matt was completely, 100% serious. He had had moments similar to this before, where he felt sorry for himself, hated life, and just wanted it to end. He'd lashed out at her before, at Vicki, at Tyler, who was like a brother to him, at everyone. His Mother had come home a couple of times in the past few months, but he'd sent her away every time, saying she didn't want him when he was healthy, why would she want him now?

But this was different. He actually wanted what he was asking for. She knew anybody else would tell her not to do it, but this was Matt. He was so much to her. They'd grown up together. He'd been her first boyfriend, her first date, her first kiss, she'd lost her virginity to him. Despite not wanting her future to be planned out, she knew she wanted him in it, in every way possible. But he was suffering. Every moment of every day. He'd never be able to live the life he wanted. He'd never play football again. He'd never be the man he wanted to be for Taylor, the friend to his friends, the brother to his sister. And, truth be told, even with transplants, he probably still wouldn't live long enough to have his first legal drink.

"Okay, Matty," Taylor said softly.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her, genuinely smiled at her, for the first time in months. "Thank you, Taylor."

Taylor got up from the side of the bed she'd been sitting on and made her around to the other, where his IV stand was, walking on wobbly legs, sure, if it wasn't for the fact that a good portion of her body had gone numb, she'd have collapsed to the floor by now.

Reaching the IV stand, she lifted her trembling hands to it, finding the right button, then flicking a last glance at Matt, who smiled again and nodded in reassurance, before pressing it, gasping softly as she did so, unable to believe she'd gone through with it.

She made her way back around to the other side of the bed and climbed in, laying down beside Matt, where she reached out, grasped his arms, and placed them around her body, before she rested her head on his chest, unknowingly placing her one hand directly overtop his heart.

"I love you, Taylor," Matt said.

She lifted her head and gazed into his handsome face once last time. He was already getting sleepy. "I love you, Matt."

Leaning up, Taylor pressed a final kiss to his lips, feeling him weakly return it, before she laid her head back down, his heart was beginning to slow beneath her hand.

Her own life giving organ was only increasing in speed, as his did the opposite, and she felt him take his final breath, before his heart ceased beneath her hand.

Pressing her lush pink lips together, Taylor lifted her head, and looked at Matt, who was now completely still, his eyes closed. He was gone.

She choked out a sob, at the sight of seeing her boyfriend lifeless. Raising her hand off of his unmoving chest, she cupped a side of his face, and leaned up, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek, before resting her forehead there for a few seconds.

"I love you, Matty," she whispered.

Taylor laid her head and hand back down onto his chest, remaining quiet for a moment, before she couldn't hold back any longer, and broke down crying, clutching at his lifeless form.

* * *

Taylor nearly jumped out of her skin, when her phone suddenly went off on the coffee table in front of her. Sucking in a deep breath, she sat forward to see who was calling and saw Rafael's name on the screen, the background the unknown person picture, as she didn't exactly yet have a photo of him to put to it.

Reaching out, her hand trembling slightly, she grabbed her phone, pressed 'Accept', and lifted the item to the side of her beautiful face.

"Hello?" she said.

"Good news," came Barba's voice. "Jury's in. Can you get down here?"

Taylor flicked a glance at the clock and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'll be right there."

Rafael's brow furrowed, as he reached the Courthouse steps, where the Press was beginning to gather already, and started up them. Something was wrong, he could tell, and not just because of the sound of her voice.

"Are you okay, Taylor?" he asked.

Taylor nodded, despite knowing he couldn't see the action. "Yes, I'm fine. I, uh. . . I was asleep. But I'll be right there." She smiled. "Don't start without me, okay?"

"Taylor-" Rafael started, but she hung up on him. Sighing softly, he lowered his gaze to his phone, before tucking it away in his suit pocket, and continuing on inside.

While Taylor got ready for Court, she knew Mia was right. She _**was**_ in love with Rafael, and that's why she was so terrified of losing him, and had reacted so strongly the other day, when Cain began to strangle him. She'd flashbacked to Matt.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes - Again, thank you all so much for the reviews! And for getting through that difficult chapter! Also, I figured out how to post links in my profile, so head over there, and check them out! And, as always, please keep up the reviews! Here's Chapter 5!

* * *

Taylor sat beside Jocelyn in Court, the woman's other side occupied by Olivia, while Amanda was behind them in the next row. She'd taken about a half an hour to get ready and down to the Courthouse, and, even once she arrived, it was obvious she was still shaken up, but she insisted, upon Olivia asking if she should really be there, and saying that maybe she should just go back home, that she wanted to be here for Jocelyn.

Taylor reached over and grasped Jocelyn's nearest hand, as Cain, his attorney, and Rafael rose for the Verdict. She entwined their fingers and sent the woman a comforting, reassuring smile, which Jocelyn gratefully returned, while grasping Taylor's hand back.

"On the count of Rape in the First Degree, how do you find?" the Judge asked the Juror, who stood with the verdict.

"We find the Defendant, Adam Cain, guilty," she replied.

A wave of relief swept over the Courtroom. For everybody but Adam Cain and his Attorney, of course, who were horrified, especially the former.

"Bailiff, take the Defendant into custody," the Judge announced.

A bright smile lit up Taylor's beautiful face, as Cain was led from the Courtroom in handcuffs. She turned her attention onto Jocelyn, who was in amazed shock that she'd actually won, had gotten justice for what the man did to her, and everything that happened as a response to it.

Olivia lifted an arm and wrapped it around Jocelyn's shoulders, while Amanda sat forward behind them, and pat the woman on her arm, both smiling in victory.

"You did it," Taylor whispered, giving Jocelyn's hand a squeeze. It was more rewarding than she could've ever hoped for to see her get justice, and have the Rapist actually put away.

Jocelyn laughed softly, lifting her free hand to grasp her and Taylor's joined limbs, and Taylor hugged her up against her side, before her gaze shifted to Rafael, as Jocelyn turned to Amanda and Olivia.

Rafael was looking back at her, over his shoulder. She smiled at him and sent him a nod of her silky dark head, causing him to return the latter action, his heart fluttering with joy at the look on Taylor's beautiful face, and for also getting Jocelyn's the justice she needed and deserved.

* * *

Not long after, Taylor stood outside with Amanda, Jocelyn, and Liv, on the Courthouse steps, the small mob of Press waiting down below for statements.

"Congratulations, Counselor," said Amanda, as Rafael came down to join them.

Barba smiled in thanks, but humbly shook his head, as he came to a halt between Amanda and Taylor, who stood beside Jocelyn. "Good Jury. They looked past Cain's image, saw him for what he really is."

"You told me I wouldn't like you when this was over," Jocelyn spoke up. "You were right."

Rafael smirked at the girl's words, while Taylor offered him a smile and sparkling eyed glance, silently letting him know _**she**_ liked him _**plenty**_.

"What do I do now?" Jocelyn asked, with a gentle shake of her head. "My reputation's-"

"The thing about America," Rafael interrupted, lifting an arm to reach past Taylor, and touch Jocelyn's arm, meeting the woman's gaze as he speaks. "This Country loves a comeback."

Shifting his gaze onto Taylor, he offered her his lean muscled suit clad arm, with a fresh smirk, and a quirked brow. "Shall we?"

Taylor smiled in response, and looped her slender arm through his offered limb, reaching out to gently touch Jocelyn, before he led her down the steps.

"Call me if you need me," she said, and the woman nodded and smiled in response.

Olivia watched as Rafael and Taylor walked down the Courthouse steps together, arm in arm, toward the small mob of Press waiting below. Her little sister. She was so proud of her. But she wasn't yet sure how she felt about what was obviously developing between her and the much older than her ADA.

* * *

"If anyone asks, this is non-alcoholic," said Rafael, as he approached where Taylor sat on the leather sofa in his office, and offered her one of the two glasses of champagne he was carrying.

"Got it," Taylor laughed softly, as she reached up, and took the glass he offered her. It also helped that it was after hours and the building was nearly deserted.

Once everything was done at the Courthouse and the Squad, everybody, aside from Jocelyn, had gone out for a celebratory dinner. Olivia hadn't been sure about Taylor going back to Barba's office with him afterward, but Taylor's a grown woman, and can make her own choices, so the two sisters had parted ways, Taylor promising she wouldn't be too late.

She now sat on Rafael's comfortable leather couch, her heels off, and abandoned on the floor. Taylor enjoyed wearing high heels, like any female, but she only wore them for as long as she absolutely had to. Once there was no longer a need, they came off. Even at her Graduation, as soon as she'd accepted her Diploma, she spent most of the rest of the day and night celebrating barefoot.

Rafael lowered himself down beside her, she was sitting sideways, facing him, in her peach colored dress, her long, bare, silky, slender legs drawn up next to her on the sofa, while one of her arms was resting along the back of the sofa, her other hand now holding her drink.

"Cheers," he said, with a soft smile, an action she returned, and the two touched glasses, before taking a drink.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Rafael asked, flicking a sideways glance at Taylor.

"What are you talking about?" responded Taylor, even though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Rafael moved on the sofa, mirroring Taylor's position, himself facing her, except he only brought one leg a bit up onto the couch, and quirked a knowing brow at her. He wasn't going to make her talk about anything she truly didn't want to, but he wanted her to know she could talk to him, and he'd be there for her.

"Come on, Taylor," he said. "Do you think I'd be _**any**_ good at my job if I couldn't tell when somebody's lying?"

Taylor sighed softly, before offering Rafael a gentle, reassuring smile. "It's nothing, Rafael. I promise. I just had a rough night."

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked seriously, gazing at her with his emerald colored eyes.

Taylor could already feel her blue-green orbs being pricked by tears and she smiled sadly next. "Uh. . ." She licked her lush pink lips. "My boyfriend, Matt, he, uh. . . He died two years ago."

Barba's heart ached at her words and the expression of pain so obviously etched upon her beautiful visage, which should only hold happiness, in his opinion. He closed the short amount of distance between their arms on the back of the sofa and gently grasped her slender hand with his strong larger warm limb.

"I'm so sorry, Taylor," he said, instinctively beginning to rub her delicate limb with his thumb. "What happened?"

Taylor sucked in a deep, shaking breath, lifting her gaze to the ceiling for a moment, before returning it to Rafael. "We grew up together. All of us did. Matt was my first everything." She offered Rafael another sad, soft smile. "Everyone thought we were the perfect couple. In High School, he was a Quarterback, I was a Cheerleader. We were happy, in love, had our whole lives ahead of us. Living the American Dream, you know."

Taylor got up from the sofa and walked over to where her purse was hanging on the rack along with Rafael's suit jacket. She fetched her phone, then returned to the couch with it, resuming her previous position, except for tucking one leg under the knee of the other.

She found a photo of her and Matt, the one featured in her scrapbook, and held out the phone to Rafael. "That's us together."

Barba took the phone and looked down at the photo of Taylor with Matt, a soft smile alighting his handsome face at the sight of her.

"He's a good looking boy," he said, lifting his gaze back to her after a moment, and offering her the phone back, which she took, as she went on.

"He was," Taylor said. "He had such a good heart too. He and his sister, Vicki, were on their own for most of their lives. Their Dad left when they were young, and their Mom was a drinker, slept around a lot. She'd be with them for a few days, then she'd disappear for months, or even years, run off with whatever new young guy she'd found. But Matt never let it get to him. He worked a part time job after school and on weekends to help pay the bills."

She licked her lush pink lips again. "The only thing Matt and I ever disagreed on was our future. He had it all mapped out. I didn't. I knew I wanted him in it, but. . ." Taylor sucked in a deep breath once more, before going on. "A month before I Graduated, he asked me to marry him."

Rafael's brow quirked at this, though it's not as if it's uncommon for people to get married at 17. Heck, nowadays, you're lucky if you're not pregnant by then.

"I told him I couldn't make that decision," Taylor went on. "Then, two weeks later, we had a football game, the last one before Homecoming. Matt came to see me before the game, asking me if I'd changed my mind. I still couldn't tell him I'd marry him. And he went into the game upset. Everything was fine until the end of the second quarter. Matt was tackled by two of the other team's players. His neck broke on impact, he was paralyzed from the neck down."

Rafael's eyes slipped closed at the information and his heart sank into the pit of his chest. He wanted to reach out and draw her into his arms, but he resisted the urge, and instead offered her an encouraging look, reaching out to gently grasp her slender hand once more, where it now laid in her lap.

"Go on," he spoke softly.

Taylor's vision became blurred, as the tears piled up in her blue-green orbs, so she blinked, and they slipped free to glide down her smooth golden cheeks, where she wiped them away with her free hand, before going on.

"It was difficult, but everything was fine for a while," she said. "I saw him every day, before and after school, then I spent all of my free time with him after I Graduated early. One day, I went over to his house, and we spent the day watching movies, eating junk food, laughing, talking, like we used to."

Taylor was about to go on, when she actually looked at Rafael, and realized what she was doing. Shaking her head, she pulled her hand free from his, and start to get up.

"I can't," she said.

"Taylor," Rafael spoke, startled at her sudden change of mode, but figuring it was because it was too difficult to talk about. "Taylor."

"I can't," she said again, setting her glass down, and starting toward her purse with her phone, snatching up her shoes as she went. "I should get home."

"Taylor," repeated Rafael, getting to his own feet, and going after her, soon reaching out to grasp her bare slender upper arm, which felt like pure silk against his hand. "Taylor, wait. Wait. Don't go. Talk to me. Tell me."

"No, I can't," she responded, pulling her arm free of his grasp, and continuing on.

"Why not?" he asked, going after her, and trying to reach for her again. "Baby, why not? Come on. Tell me. Taylor, talk to me. Tell me!"

Neither realized Rafael had just called Taylor 'baby' for the first time, and Taylor soon stopped, then spun around to face him in a twirl on long silky light chocolate loose curls, dropping her phone and heels carelessly to the floor in the process.

"Because I killed him!" she responded.

Rafael stopped dead in his tracks at her reveal, stunned into place.

"I killed him," Taylor repeated, more calmly this time. "He was suffering. His organs were failing, bills were piling up, he-he wouldn't take money from my Father. He didn't want to saddle me with him for however long he had left. He could never play football again. He hated he wouldn't be able to have the life with me that he wanted. He couldn't walk down the aisle with me, dance with me at our wedding, give me children. He couldn't make love to me."

Rafael, despite never meeting Matt, or knowing about him until a few moments ago, could immediately understand how the young man felt. He couldn't imagine everything he enjoyed about life suddenly being taken away from him. Being young and athletic, having your whole life in front of you, endless possibilities, and then, in one split second, it's all gone. If it were him, he wouldn't want to put Taylor through any of that either.

She was so young, so beautiful, so completely and utterly amazing in every possible way. He'd want to give her everything too, he already did. And he'd want to make love to her every chance he got. Completely worship her the way she deserved.

"He wanted the day we'd just spent together to be his last. He wanted it to end while we were happy and in love, because he believed, in a few years, we'd hate each other. He'd be even less alive than he already was and I'd only be with him out of guilt, and resent him for making me stay with him, hate that I couldn't have the life I deserved," Taylor went on, finally lifting her gaze to Rafael's, her blue-green orbs filled with a fresh sheen of tears, which slipped free at the sight of the look on his handsome face.

"He asked me to end it," Taylor said. "He wanted to die in my arms, just drift off to sleep as he held me one last time. And I did. I turned up his IV pump, laid with him in bed, and he died."

Rafael sucked in a deep breath of his own now, before slowly making his way toward her. "Taylor, I promise this will stay between us. But, I have to know." He came to a halt before her and quirked a questioning brow. "Does anybody else know?"

Taylor gently shook her dark silky head. "Only Liv, and Mia, she's my best friend. I never even told my Dad. Official cause of death was organ failure." She shrugged her mostly bare slender shoulders. "His heart was under too much pressure and gave out."

Rafael nodded. "Okay, good." Reaching out, he gently grasped her delicate limbs with his much larger ones, and met her blue-green gaze with his emerald eyes. "Taylor, I'll never tell a soul, for as long as I live. I promise. Do you believe me?"

"Yes," she immediately responded, not needing even a second to think it over.

"And if anyone should ever find out, I'll go to Hell and back before I let anything happen to you," Rafael went on, before quirking a brow once more. "Do you believe me?"

"Yes," she quickly repeated. "I trust you, Rafael."

"As I do you," he responded, offering her a soft smile, which she returned, before he gently pulled her closer to himself. "Come here."

Taylor allowed him to pull her to him, lifting her bare slender sun kissed arms already on pure instinct, and wrapping them around his neck, while his own, already pure instinct for him as well, wound about her small waist, and he hugged her tightly, while she did the same to him, soon burying her beautiful face into the crook of his dark heated neck, where she inhaled one deep breath after another of his comforting scent, which was a mixture of his expensive cologne, and the smell that is just purely, uniquely him.

* * *

"You think Jocelyn will be all right?" Taylor asked Olivia, while the two women sat on the couch in Liv's living room in her apartment.

Olivia nodded. "I think she'll be just fine. She's a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for." She quirked a brow at her little sister. "Like somebody else I know."

Taylor laughed softly, she was still in her dress, but her heels had come off as soon as she'd got in the door, after Rafael drove her home.

"You okay?" Olivia asked.

Taylor nodded this time, offering her big sister a sweet smile. "Yeah, I'll be okay."

Olivia reached over, and grasped Taylor's slender forearm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'd like to say the cases get easier, but it's not entirely true. But the fact that your first case was a brutal, high profile, 'he said/she said', and you made it through it tells me you can do this job."

"Thanks, Liv," responded Taylor.

The two sisters smiled at each other, before there was a knock on the apartment front door, and both women's brows furrowed, as they shared a confused look. It was almost Midnight. Who the heck would that be?

Taylor got up from the sofa and padded over to the front door in her bare feet. She looked through the peephole and a bright smile suddenly lit up every last inch of her beautiful face.

"Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed, undoing the locks as quickly as she could, before throwing open the front door, revealing the person on the other side of it. "Mia!"

Her best friend stood in the hallway, one bag slung over a shoulder, while she pulled a suitcase behind herself, and she smiled brightly at Taylor, as she opened the door to her.

Olivia had gotten up from the sofa and begun to follow after Taylor to the front door, but stopped once it was revealed who it was, and she watched with a soft smile, as her sister and Mia met in a tight hug.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes - I'm SO sorry this update has taken so long! I'm a Nurse and have had work every day this week. Anyway, here's the next Chapter. It takes place a couple of weeks after the last one. As usual, Taylor's outfit has been added to my Profile! Go check it out! Enjoy, and please, please, please review!

* * *

Taylor sat in Rafael's apartment. She'd come over there to pick his brain for a test she had coming up. It had probably been the most adorable thing he'd ever seen, when he, still in his suit from work, just sans jacket, had opened the door, and she'd been standing there in her pajamas, with a jacket and black and white Converse sneakers on, carrying a bag of books and such, the same held in one of her arms. She looked like a sweet innocent schoolgirl who'd come over to her Professor's apartment after hours to study, only minus the Catholic uniform.

Rafael's apartment completely matched him. When you walked in, to the left was a sleek kitchen and to the right was a wall with paintings and a picture table. Once the kitchen ended, the walls were floor to ceiling windows, all the way around the living room, until you got to the bedroom on the right, which was a completely open master bedroom, with a bathroom and walk-in closet on the right, the only doors to give privacy were sliding glass ones. The living room was dug into the floor a bit, with a two step staircase all around it, leading to carpet, a plush black leather chair, a matching sofa on either side, and a table in the middle, while, at the opposite end, was the fireplace, which doubled as an entertainment center. Both walls with ceiling to floor windows had doors, that opened up to the L shaped balcony, and the apartment was on one of the top floors of the building.

Taylor had shed her jacket and shoes, and curled up on the right sofa in the living room with her things, her feet bundled up in thick dark grey socks. Rafael was just returning to her with drinks, ice water with lemon for her, and a scotch for him, when there was a sudden bolt of lightning off in the distance, which they could see through his open windows, he hadn't yet drawn the long curtains over them, something he rarely did, since it was usually just him here, and the apartment was so high up, only Spider-man could see inside, followed by a vicious crack of thunder.

Taylor looked up from her book, then at Rafael, as he brushed past her with the drinks.

"Sounds like a bad storm," she said, sending him a smile, when he offered her the water, before settling down with his scotch.

"Yes, it does," he responded. "It also sounds like you got here just in time. You wouldn't want to be out in that." He nodded his head at the wall of windows directly across from them.

Before Taylor could respond, her phone went off, and, since she was tucked in with her books and such, Rafael leaned forward to grab it off the table, then hand it to her.

"Your sister," he said with a smile.

Taylor smiled in returned and took the phone from him, pressing 'Accept', then lifting it to the side of her beautiful face. "Hey, Liv."

"Hey," Liv said, as she stood in the Squad Room, the Team looking at the forecast on the monitor they usually used for cases. "Are you still at Barba's?" She sent Amanda, Fin, Munch, and Nick a look when they turned their surprised gazes onto her at the reveal of where Taylor was.

"Yeah," Taylor responded. "You calling about the storm?"

"Yeah," Liv scoffed, as she shifted her gaze onto the TV. "It looks pretty bad."

"You want me to come to you? I can get there if I hurry," said Taylor.

"Uh, no," Liv reluctantly replied, sucking in a deep breath, before going on. "It's probably best you stay where you are. I don't want you to get caught out in the middle of this. Especially since it's likely we're gonna lose power."

Taylor relaxed back against the sofa. She was sitting sideways, her back to the armrest, her legs drawn up in front of her, bent at the knees. "You want me to stay? Here? With Barba?"

"Yes," Liv firmly replied. "Just. . . behave yourself."

Taylor pressed her lush pink lips together to keep the laughter that begged to be set free at her sister's words from escaping. "Okay, Liv. I promise. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Call me if you need me," Liv said. "Love you too."

Taylor ended the phone call and handed the phone back to Rafael, when he extended a large hand for the item.

"Looks like you're stuck with me tonight, Counselor," she playfully teased, with a bright smile tugging at her lips, and damn, if that didn't affect him way more than it should.

"Looks like I am," he responded, somehow keeping up his cool, calm, and collected demeanor, as he set her phone back down onto the table, while Taylor took a drink of her ice water, then leaned forward to place it there as well.

* * *

Taylor closed her books and placed them on the table, before sitting up straight, and stretching her arms up into the air, arching her back as she did so.

Swinging her long legs off of the sofa, she rose to her delicate thick comfy grey sock clad feet, and turned to face the kitchen, where she found Rafael making them something to eat.

"Wow," she said, making her way to him. "He cooks too."

Rafael chuckled softly, as Taylor lifted herself up into one of the bar stools at the Island Counter. "I'm full of surprises."

"You are," she responded.

"Here," Rafael said, scooping up some of the sauce, and offering the spoon to Taylor, placing his free hand beneath it, in case it dripped. "Try."

Smiling softly, Taylor leaned up on the bar stool, and over the counter, where she tasted the delicious sauce he was making.

"Mm," she said, sitting back in her seat, while he retracted the spoon. "That's really good." She quirked a dark brown perfectly sculpted brow at him. "Where'd you learn to cook?"

Rafael shrugged. "Just a little something I did on the side in College."

"You cook for every girl you bring home?" Taylor asked, with sparkling blue-green eyes.

Rafael met her glittering gaze with his own, then gently shrugged again. "Just the ones that keep me in line."

Taylor smiled softly, before flicking a glance around the impressive kitchen, which defiantly must've been a selling point for him, as it's a Chef's delight. "So, is there anything I can do?"

"You can make up the sofa for me, if you'd like," he responded.

Taylor paused, then gently shook her head. "I'm not kicking you out of your own bed. I promise it won't be the first time I've slept on a couch." She immediately held up a slender finger when he looked like he was gonna say something. "And don't you dare ask."

Rafael let that go, but went back to the sleeping arrangements. "Taylor, you're sleeping in my bed. I've already slept on the couches plenty since I moved here."

Taylor knew, if she continued to argue, this conversation would go on for hours, they were both just that stubborn, so she decided to concede, at least with this.

"Fine," she said, quirking her brow at him, before getting down off of the bar stool, and heading off to make up the sofa. Truth be told, she loved this excuse to go into his closet.

* * *

Taylor made up the couch, while Rafael finished up with dinner, and was just setting the table, when there a sudden, even more vicious, bolt of lightning, and crack of thunder, and the apartment suddenly went dark, the only light being that of the moonlight, as the city, which could be seen through the floor to ceiling windows, turned black too.

"Well, I guess we'll be eating by candlelight," Rafael said, after he and Taylor both jumped slightly at the power going on.

Taylor turned and quirked a brow over at him. "Candles?"

"Top of my closet," he responded.

She nodded, turned on her heel, and made her way back into his bedroom, fetching a bunch from the highest shelf, it being a good thing she's tall, or she'd need a ladder, then grabbing the lighter from atop the fireplace, before she set about placing the candles around the apartment.

"I'll get a fire going," Rafael said, after finishing with the table that sat by the kitchen, next to one of the floor to ceiling window walls.

Taylor nodded, lighting the last couple of candles, before tossing him the lighter, and finishing setting them around, he soon had a fire going, and the two headed over to eat.

"How romantic," she said, as Rafael held her chair out for her.

He chuckled softly, making sure she was settled, before going around to his own seat. "I wish I could take credit for all of this. Say I planned it."

"Well, if you'd planned it, I'm guessing I'd be wearing something nicer than my pajamas," Taylor said, flicking a glance down at her clothes, as she laid the napkin over her lap.

"You look beautiful," Rafael responded, before even realizing what he was saying, and, when he looked up from settling his own napkin, she was smiling softly at him, and he didn't regret his words.

Rafael lifted up his scotch, while Taylor did the same with her ice water with lemon, and they clinked glasses.

"Cheers," he said with a smile.

"Cheers," she repeated, before the two drank.

* * *

While Rafael cleaned up from dinner, Taylor stood in front of one of the ceiling to floor window walls, looking out at the dark city, the only lights being those of the cars on the street, as well as the candles and such people had lit in their own buildings.

"I've never seen the city so dark before," she said, feeling his eyes on her as he moved. "It's really quite beautiful."

"Yes, it is," Rafael responded, speaking more of her and the view of her he had, rather than the dark city she was looking at.

Taylor knew he was talking about her too and looked over at him. Their gazes met for a moment, before he continued on with clearing the table.

Turning her eyes back onto the window, she watched outside for another moment, before heading into the living room, a shiver coming over her body, as she walked, causing her to instinctively lift her arms to cross over her chest.

"Are you cold?" Rafael asked, not missing a thing.

"Yeah, kind of," she responded.

"I'll get you a blanket," he said, swiftly striding from the kitchen to his bedroom, and soon returning with a comfy blanket, which he shook out, as he came up behind her, and gently draped the item over her slender shoulders.

"Thank you," Taylor replied, sending him a smile over her shoulder, which his large hands lingered upon, as she snuggled into the item.

"You're welcome," said Rafael, soon forcing his hands off of her, and going back to the kitchen, while Taylor headed the rest of the way into the living room, and sank down onto the sofa she'd been making up when the power went out.

She could hear him moving about in the kitchen behind her, and she turned her head to flick a glance over at the picture table against the nearby wall, a soft smile alighting her beautiful face at the sight of the personal photos he has framed on it, of him with his friends and his family.

It wasn't long before Rafael joined her on the couch, loosening his tie, and undoing the top couple buttons of his white dress shirt. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a bit, which is when the skies opened up, and it began to pour down rain. Taylor sat up from leaning back against the armrest and rested her arms on her thighs, as she settled Indian style, facing him, and watched the rain pelt against the windows.

"I always loved rain," she said, gently shaking her long dark silky head as she went on. "I don't know why. I guess it just felt peaceful to me." She smiled. "And, whenever I could, I'd go running outside, and dance around in the rain."

Rafael could perfectly picture her dancing outside in the rain, and smiled softly at he spoke, watching her watch the rain. "Wouldn't that be a sight?"

Taylor smiled softly, before Rafael shifted closer to her on the sofa, and offered her one of his powerful arms.

"Come here," he said, with a nod of his perfectly styled dark head.

Taylor moved over toward him, soon cuddling up beside him, her legs still drawn up on the sofa, bent at the knee, where he wrapped his arm around her, and she laid her head on his chest, while he rested his cheek against the top of her dark silky rose scented locks.

He gently rubbed her slender back and upper arm, while she laid one of her slender hands on his stomach, absently fiddling with the buttons of his vest with her delicate fingers.

Taylor didn't know why, but she loved his stomach. It wasn't completely flat and he wasn't perfectly toned and muscled the way she was used to, like with Matt. But he was still gorgeous and the fact that he wasn't a typical male specimen just made him even sexier to her.

As if reading each other's minds, Taylor looked up at Rafael, at the same moment he looked down at her, and they locked gazes for a moment, before she leaned up, he leaned down, their eyes slipped closed, and their lips met for the first time, Rafael's arm soon tightening around her, drawing her breathtaking young form impossibly closer against his own older body, while her hand moved up from his stomach to cup a side of his devastatingly handsome face.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes - All right, guys. So, I decided to re-write Chapter 7, since a few of you weren't a fan of the idea I tried out in it. Hopefully you all like this new version much better! And, as always, please review!

* * *

 _ **Two**_ _**Weeks**_ _**Later**_

It had been two weeks since the night of the blackout. Two weeks since Rafael and Taylor had been alone in his apartment and had shared their first kiss. Unfortunately, nothing much had transpired between the two since that. The next day, SVU brought them a new case, and it took up most of their time. But things were finally starting to calm down in the aftermath of the trial that followed.

"Morning," Liv greeted her little sister with a smile, as Taylor emerged from her room, dressed for work.

"Morning," Taylor returned her greeting, while settling her lush chocolate curls over her slender shoulders.

"Hey, I was thinking I could get out early tonight," said Liv, before shrugging her own shoulders. "Maybe we could do something."

"Oh, I'd love to," responded Taylor. "But I already have plans. Caroline, Mia, and I are going to go out. But you're welcome to come with us."

Both girls had flown in from California for a visit, Mia coming from San Diego, where she's pre-med, and Caroline from Los Angeles, where she's studying drama and music to become an actress and singer.

Olivia scoffed, as she moved over to the cupboard to fetch her coffee cup. "Oh, I doubt you guys would want a Cop with you while you're trying to have fun."

"Liv, you're not a Cop to me, you're my big sister," said Taylor, placing her hands on the counter, while she followed Olivia with her eyes.

"Well, in that case, I doubt you much younger than me girls would want your much older than you sister to be with you while you're trying to have fun," she retorted with a smirk.

Taylor rolled her aquamarine eyes. "Okay, okay." She moved over to the door to grab her coat off of the rack by the entrance to the apartment, shifting her sparkling orbs onto her big sister as she began to put it on. "Hey, this means you're free to do. . . _**something**_ with Brian."

Olivia sent her little sister a look, the former SVU Detective that she'd had a brief relationship with what seems like centuries ago having recently resurfaced in her life.

"Even if there was something between Brian and I after all these years, it'd be wise for us to take it slow, given our history," she said, as she poured the freshly brewed coffee she'd prepared into her cup.

"What's the point in having history with someone if you're going to take it slow upon being reunited?" Taylor inquired with a playful quirked brow, making her way back over into the kitchen. "Come on, sis. You work hard, get some."

Olivia laughed, as Taylor got playfully close to her, lifting an arm to gently push her little sister away. "Okay, go to work."

"Love you," Taylor giggled, grabbing her bag, and heading out the door.

"Love you too," Olivia managed to respond, before the door shut behind her little sister's departing form.

* * *

Taylor sent Rafael a smile, as she entered his office, the A.D.A. already here, suit jacket off, standing behind his desk, going over some paperwork.

"Morning," she smiled.

Rafael looked up at the sound of her familiar, beautiful voice and returned her smile. "Morning."

Taylor set her bag down in a chair at the conference table, then shed her coat, hanging it up with Rafael's on the rack.

"What's on our schedule for today?" she asked, smoothing her slender hands down her dress, while making her way over to his desk.

Rafael held up a hand, a single finger extended on it, as a quickly becoming familiar smirk tugged at his lips. "Before we get into work, I have something non professional to discuss with you."

Taylor's brow furrowed, but she nodded in agreement, even as a feeling of dread came over her, naturally assuming, now that they had time to breathe, he was going to tell her that what happened between them at his apartment two weeks ago was wrong and can never happen again.

"Okay," she responded.

Rafael nodded his head at the chair she was standing beside. "Have a seat."

Boy, he knew how to make her feel like she'd been called to the Principal's Office and was in trouble for something, but she nonetheless did as he said, and sat down, crossing one long leg over the knee of the other.

Rafael moved out from behind his desk, tucking his large hands into the pockets of his suit pants, his smirk never fading, and his eyes never leaving hers. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" he asked.

A wave of relief washed over Taylor, when he didn't start the conversation with what she thought he would, and, instead, went in the complete opposite direction with the topic of the two of them.

She couldn't help her own smirk from beginning to tug at the corners of her lush pink lips, as she played it cool, folding her hands in her lap, while relaxing back in the plush chair. "Nothing. Why?" She quirked a dark brown finely sculpted brow at him. "Are you asking me out on a date, Rafael Barba?"

He chuckled softly and nodded his head. "I am." It was his turn to quirk a brow at her. "How does dinner sound?"

"Sounds perfect," Taylor replied with a smile, the two of them grinning like little children who just got away with something.

"Good," responded Rafael.

* * *

Olivia was relaxing on the sofa in the living room, her glasses on, reading a book, and enjoying a glass of wine, when Taylor emerged from her room, ready for her night out with her girlfriends.

She looked up at the sound of her little sister and smiled softly, both in pride and relief, when she saw Taylor, wearing black boots, black leggings, and a black tank top, her long lush chocolate tresses pulled up into a messy bun. She knew it didn't matter what a woman was wearing, how much make up they had on, how provocative they acted, but she was glad her little sister, whom she sees as the most beautiful young woman ever, didn't wear a ton of make up, or show off a lot of skin, not that she needed to do either. She was breathtaking even if she wore a potato sack.

"Have fun," Olivia said, as Taylor grabbed her purse and coat. "Remember, be safe, and I'm just a phone call away."

Taylor smiled softly, moving over to the couch to exchange cheek kisses with her big sister. "I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you too," Olivia responded, before watching her beloved sibling head out.

Her smile faded the instant the door clicked shut. She'd had a bad feeling about Taylor going out tonight, but figured it was probably an instinctive gut reaction to her many years at SVU. Taylor was strong, brave, much more than Olivia believed she herself could ever be, she was sure she'd be all right.

* * *

While the music blared in the club, the lights strobed, and people danced, drank, talked, and laughed, Taylor and her two girlfriends were at a table near the bar, drinking, laughing, and talking themselves. It was safe to say they were all pretty drunk and fairly high, as well. They knew it was wrong, it was illegal even, but they were young, beautiful, all well off financially, they were three 19-20 year olds, out in the big city.

"We should make a tribe," Caroline exclaimed, reaching into her bag for a tube of lipstick, as Mia and Taylor erupted in laughter from trying to do shots with the drinking arm wrapped around the other's, like how people drink champagne at their weddings.

"A tribe?" Mia asked, shaking her head, as she giggled. "Care, that's so raisins."

"Raisins?" Taylor laughed, Caroline falling back against the seat, nearly crying from laughter at their friend's words. "You mean, 'racist'?"

"Oh, my God!" Mia slapped a hand against her beautiful face, probably too hard than she meant to. "Did I say 'raisins'?"

"We're being so raisins!" Caroline said, sitting up, popping the top off her lipstick, then leaning forward with her choice of paintbrush. "Who's first? Come on! Caroline's Tribe!"

Taylor managed to subside her laughter enough to volunteer first by raising her bare slender arm in the air. "Me!"

"You're a good bro," replied Caroline, as the two girls leaned toward one another, and she began using the lipstick to draw lines on Taylor's face, chest, and arms.

"You're a good bro!" Mia laughed, while pouring more shots.

* * *

Taylor made her way to the bar with the empty bottle, holding it up to the bartender, once she reached it. "Hey, another bottle, please!"

"Does your Mother know you're out this late, princess?" came a male voice, and Taylor looked over to see a handsome young man there, leaning against the bar, smirking at her.

"My Mother's dead," Taylor responded, before laughing as she realized something. "From alcohol, ironically."

The man chuckled. "Wow, you sure learned your lesson." He pushed off of the bar and moved closer to Taylor. "Let me buy you a drink, beautiful."

"Thanks, but no," replied Taylor. "I'm with my girls tonight."

"No boys allowed?" the man asked with a quirked brow.

"Nope," Taylor said.

"What's with the markings?" he asked, lifting a hand to gesture at the red lipstick lines covering her face.

"Oh, we're a tribe," Taylor laughed. "Caroline's Tribe."

"A tribe, huh?" he quirked a brow again, continuing to smirk. "Can I join?"

"I guess you could," Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "Knowing Caroline, you'd have to pass some tests. She's pretty strict."

"I can pass your friend's tests, princess," the man said, moving closer to Taylor. He lifted a large hand and brushed a stray messy curl back from behind her ear, then begin to move the limb down her slender back, heading for her bottom, while leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Just tell me what I gotta do."

"Hey!" Caroline said, walking up to the bar, and spotting the guy all over her best friend. "Hands off, pal. She only likes older men." She giggled as she met Taylor's gaze.

Taylor's eyes sparkled, as she laughed too at Caroline's words.

"Older men, huh?" the guy said, flicking a glance at Caroline, before returning his eyes back onto Taylor. "What, you prefer men who have to take a blue pill before hooking up?"

Taylor rolled her eyes, as she shoved the man away a bit with one of her slender arms. "No, I prefer men who are mature, don't use phrases like 'hooking up', and are more experienced."

"Oh, I'm plenty 'experienced', princess," the man said, closing the space between them once more.

"By 'experienced', I don't mean getting some girl to push up her skirt, then push aside her panties for you in a bathroom stall," Taylor retorted.

"Ooh!" the man playfully hissed, lifting a hand to touch the side of Taylor's beautiful lipstick covered face. "We should put that mouth to better use."

Taylor lifted her arm again to shove him away, but did so this time much harsher, enough that the man stumbled backwards.

"Don't touch me, douchebag," she snapped.

"Come on, Tay," Caroline said, grabbing her friend's arm with one hand, while the other took the new bottle the bartender brought the two of them.

"Feel free to think of me while you and your friends jerk each other off later, though," smirked Taylor at the man, before allowing Caroline to pull her away.

* * *

"What an asshole that guy at the bar earlier was," Caroline said, as she and Taylor left the club a couple of hours later. It was close to 2:00am, Mia had left earlier.

"Yeah, the World's full of them," Taylor replied, as she looked through her phone, spotting a couple missed messages from Olivia, who'd been called into the Squad.

"At least we had fun otherwise," said Caroline, smiling, as she draped an arm around Taylor's shoulders.

"Probably too much fun," Taylor replied, with a wiggle of her eyebrows, they still had the lipstick on them.

"Yeah," Caroline agreed, before quirking a dark blond brow, as she looked down at Taylor's phone. "You think Liv could get somebody to pick us up?"

"Yeah," responded Taylor, bringing up her sister's number, before flicking a glance around, then at Caroline. "Let's go wait in that diner around the corner though."

Caroline nodded in agreement and the two young women began around the corner, arm and arm. Taylor had just pressed to call Liv, and was about to put it on speaker, when they passed by the alley between the back of the club, and the pizza place behind it, and an arm shot out, grabbed Caroline, and tugged her from Taylor.

"Hey!" Taylor exclaimed, looking over to see a young man holding Caroline against her will, the blond still too wasted to really fight back, only able to weakly struggle, and attempt to elbow him, as he stood with his arms locked around her waist from behind, her own limbs trapped beneath his. "Let her go, asshole!"

"Or what?" came a familiar voice, and Taylor looked over to see the guy from the bar approaching them. He must've had his buddy hide out back, while he himself followed behind her and Caroline. "You'll sick your Sugar Daddy on us, princess?"

"Look," Taylor sighed. "You want money? We've got it. Just let us go."

What Taylor didn't realize, as she stood, attempting to negotiate with the two young men, was that her call to Olivia had gone through, and her big sister currently sat at her desk in the Squad Room, listening to everything going on on her own phone, her eyes wide, and filled with horror, as was her expression.

"Everything okay, Liv?" Fin asked, approaching her desk, and immediately stopping in his tracks when she lifted an urgent finger to silence him.

Placing her hand over the phone, Olivia lifted her terrified gaze to the man. "Get everybody."

Fin nodded and ran to gather Amanda, Munch, Nick, and the Captain, before all of them gathered around Liv's desk, as the woman put her phone on its top, and placed the call on speaker, after Cragen called for silence in the room, allowing everybody to hear the call.

"I'll bet you do," the man said, continuing his approach to Taylor and Caroline, who'd gone still in his buddy's grip. "How much does your Sugar Daddy pay you to suck him off? To fuck him."

"More than you'll make in your lifetime, Junior," Taylor retorted.

The man chuckled, sharing an amused glance with his buddy, before shifting his gaze back to Taylor, whom Caroline flicked a terrified glance at. He came to a stop only a couple steps from her, smirking in a creepy manner, silence falling upon the foor, before he suddenly attacked, lunging forward, where he grabbed Taylor's nearest arm, and used the arm to pull her to him.

Taylor screamed and was forced to drop her phone, which hit the ground, but thankfully didn't break, and managed to hold the call to Liv, who's horror only intensified at the sound of her little sister being grabbed.

Cragen grabbed a pen and pad, and wrote, "Do you know where they are?" on it, then held it up to Liv, as Amanda moved behind her, and lifted comforting hands to the other woman's shoulders.

Olivia nodded and wrote the club's address on the first thing she could find, then gave it to Nick, while Cragen wrote instructions for the Squad on the pad next, sending Fin, Amanda, and Nick to the scene with backup, while he and Munch would take Liv and her phone to TARU to put a trace on it, in case the call ended, and the men took the girls somewhere else.

* * *

The man held Taylor tightly back against his front, locking one arm around her in the same way his friend had Caroline, while the other hand produced a knife from his pocket.

"I'd choose your next words _**very**_ carefully, princess," he said, as he lifted the sharp blade to Taylor's delicate throat. "After all, it's only common sense to be nice to the man with a knife to your pretty neck."

Taylor closed her eyes, as she felt the cold steel against her skin, before forcing her eyes open, and meeting Caroline's frightened gaze, doing her best to convey silent reassurance to her friend through their locked orbs.

"Please, don't hurt us," Taylor said, flicking her eyes sideways to look into the man's menacing face.

"Oh, we're not going to hurt you," the one holding Caroline finally spoke up.

"We're going to give you the time of your lives," said Taylor's captor. "Show you what you've been _**missing**_." He gave her body a violent jerk at the last word.

"Yeah," said the other man, shifting his attention onto Caroline. "What about you, Barbie? Do you like fucking older dudes too, like your friend here?" He nodded at Taylor.

"Leave her out of this," said Taylor. "She didn't do anything to you."

"Well, not yet," the man smirked. "But she's gonna do a lot _**for**_ me tonight."

Caroline closed her eyes at his words, an action that caused the tears that had been rising up in her eyes to spill free.

"Caroline," Taylor said. "Care, look at me." She went on with as much of a comforting, reassuring tone as she could muster, when her friend did as she requested. "Don't be scared. We're going to be all right. I promise you."

"Yeah, don't count on it, sweetheart," said the blond's captor, right before he violently threw Caroline onto the ground, then begin to stalk toward her.

"Caroline!" Taylor exclaimed, instinctively moving to help her friend, but the man holding her renewed his grasp, and pressed the blade harder against her throat.

"Please, don't!" Caroline sobbed, as the man's buddy hovered over her, a scream soon tearing from her lips, when he suddenly dropped to his knees, and reached out to grab her wrists. "No!"

"Get your hands off of her!" yelled Taylor, continuing to fight against the man's hold. "Let go of me!"

The friend backhanded Caroline's across the face, splitting open her lip, and stunning her.

"No!" Taylor screamed. She knew she wasn't going to convince the two not to do anything more to them, but she hoped her cries would warrant some attention from somebody, _**anybody**_.

"Enjoy the show, princess," Taylor's captor whispered in her ear. "I wanted to give you a preview of what you're in for next."

Taylor felt his grip on her loosen ever so slightly and took the opportunity to slam her elbow back into his gut, causing him to release her with a surprised grunt of pain, but, in the process, she inadvertently sealed a deadly fate for herself, as the action drew the sharp blade of the knife he'd been holding tightly to her neck across the side of her delicate throat, slitting it open.

* * *

Author's Notes - I know. Cliffhangers, right? But send in those reviews and I'll post the next chapter ASAP! Taylor's outfit has been added to my profile. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes - Before reading this new Chapter, I suggest you go back and read Chapter 7, as I tweaked it a bit, though there's been no major changes. Anyway, enjoy this new Chapter, and please review!

* * *

Caroline's blue eyes widened in complete and utter horror, as she watched her best friend have her throat slit right in front of her. She was sure she had just witnessed the murder of the young woman who was a sister to her and Mia.

" _ **No**_!" she screamed.

Blood spurted from the sizable gash on the left side of Taylor's slender neck, which she herself instinctively lifted one of her delicate hands to, and she collapsed to the ground, while the man who'd been holding Caroline down released his grip on her in pure shock at what his friend had done.

"Oh, my God! Taylor!" Caroline sobbed, crawling on her hands and knees to her friend, lifting her anger filled gaze to the two men as she did so. "Why did you do that?"

Caroline gently rolled Taylor onto her back and tried to pry her friend's hand away from her gushing neck wound. "Sweetie, let me see. Let me see. Shh! It's okay. It's okay, baby. You're going to be all right. You're going to be all right."

"Dude, what the Hell?" the friend of the man from the bar exclaimed, as they gazed down at the two young women in horror.

"I-I didn't mean-mean to," he stuttered in response, the now bloody knife still clutched in one hand. "It was an accident!"

"You two are _**dead**_!" Caroline screamed at them, between her sobs. "Her sister's a Cop!"

The men's eyes widened in even further horror at the blond's words, before, as if on cue, Police Sirens were suddenly heard, followed by the near blinding in the night sight of the blue and red lights, as Cop cars came screeching around the corner where the diner the girls had been heading to was.

"Taylor, _**please**_ hang on," Caroline cried, her beautiful face contorted in agony, and stained with tears, which continued to pour from her sapphire orbs. "Please don't die! Please don't leave me! Sweetie, please!"

"Police, freeze!" Fin shouted, as he climbed from the driver's side of the car, gun out, and aimed at the two men, Amanda climbing from the passenger side with her own weapon, while Nick emerged from the back seat, gun out as well. "Stop right there! Don't move!"

The two young men took off running and Fin yelled at Amanda and Nick, as he holstered his weapon, and began towards Caroline and Taylor.

"You two, go!" he said, able to tell the two didn't want to leave Taylor, but did as he said, Nick jumping into the driver's seat, while Amanda got back in the passenger, and they pealed out after the two men, followed by another Squad car, the Cops in the second one that had come with them climbing out to follow after Fin, their weapons out and ready. "Call a Bus!"

One of the Cops got on the radio, reporting that a Detective's sister had been attacked, the two suspects were on foot with fellow Officers in pursuit, and they needed an immediate bus, as well as further back up.

"Taylor!" Fin said, rushing over to her and Caroline.

"I-I don't know what to do!" Caroline sobbed. "The blood just keeps coming!"

"It's okay, baby," Fin reassured, gently reaching out to lift the young woman's blood soaked hands off of Taylor's throat, before replacing the limbs with one of his much larger, strong limbs, holding her neck as somebody would when choking another, while the other hand kept her head steady. "I got this. Just let go. I got her."

Caroline did as she was told, and sat back on her knees, her bloodied hands in her lap, allowing Fin to take over with Taylor, who lifted a hand stained with her own life giving fluid to grab at the man that is like an Uncle to her.

"It's okay, baby," Fin said. "I got you. We're here. You just hang on, baby. The bus is on the way. Just hang on. You're gonna be all right."

* * *

When Olivia arrived on the scene with Captain Cragen and Munch, she saw, to her further horror, Taylor being readied on a gurney, while Caroline, wrapped up in a blanket, still sobbing, gave Amanda her statement.

"Olivia!" the blond exclaimed, as she spotted Taylor's big sister, and broke away from Amanda to rush to the woman. "I'm _**so**_ sorry! I'm _**so**_ sorry!"

Olivia lifted her hands to gently grasp Caroline's upper arms. "It's okay, sweetie. It's not your fault."

Amanda came up beside Caroline and wrapped an arm gently around the near hystical young woman. "Come on, honey. Let's get you to the hospital."

Caroline reluctantly went with Amanda, flicking a glance over at Taylor, as she was led off, while Olivia rushed over to where they were now wheeling her sister, who's neck was heavily bandaged, toward the ambulance.

"How is she?" she asked the EMTs.

"Severe laceration to the neck, she's lost a lot of blood, she's been in and out of consciousness. We need to get her to the hospital _**now**_ ," one of them answered.

"I'll ride with you," Olivia said, reaching out to pick up Taylor's nearest limp, blood stained hand, sending her little sister a soft, tear filled smile, when she looked at her with half open eyes. "Hey, sweetie. It's okay, baby. I'm here now. I'm here."

Pausing by the back of the ambulance, she reluctantly let go of Taylor's hand, in order to allow the EMTs to load her in, and took the opportunity to turn her gaze, now flared with anger and rage, toward the Captain and the fellow Detectives of her Squad.

"I want these bastards nailed to the wall!" exclaimed Olivia, before she climbed into the back of the ambulance.

* * *

Olivia stood in the waiting room at the hospital, which was already quickly filling up with fellow Police Officers, all willing to donate blood for Taylor, and do anything else they could for the sibling of one of their own.

"How's she doing?" Amanda asked, as she approached where Olivia was, Fin off to the side on his phone.

"She's still in surgery," Olivia responded, before she went on with a quirked brow, after Amanda nodded in response to her words. "How's Caroline?"

"Physically, she's fine," replied Amanda. "Just a cut on her lip, no signs of sexual assault. She said the guy who hurt Taylor was hassling her at the bar earlier in the night."

Olivia scoffed. "There's something new. A guy gets turned down by a girl and his only option to keep his manhood in the eyes of his buddies is to attack her."

Fin hung up his phone, and walked over to Amanda and Liv. "That was the Cap with Amaro and Munch at the scene. There's no sign of these punks. They're bringing in dogs in hopes of sniffin' 'em out."

"Is there anybody we can call for you?" Amanda asked Liv, lifting an arm to the fellow female Detective.

"No," Olivia responded, with a shake of her dark silky head. "Taylor's Father is out of the country. I've already called him and he said he'll get here as soon as he can." She focused her eyes on the man she'd been working with for years. "Fin, you mind calling Mia? Make sure she got to her hotel safely?"

Fin nodded. "You got it."

"Thank you," Olivia smiled in response.

"What about Barba?" Amanda asked. "Should we call him?"

"Why would we do that? We haven't even caught the perps yet," inquired Fin, his brow furrowing when Amanda and Liv shared a knowing look. "What?"

"Barba and Taylor are. . . kind of a thing," Amanda tried to explain.

"What?" Fin said, taking a step closer, as the protective Father in him began to rise up.

"Yeah, they haven't gone out on a date yet," Olivia added. "But it's obvious that's where it's going."

"He's old enough to be her Father," Fin offered as an objection.

Olivia quirked her dark brow and shrugged her shoulders slightly. "That's always been the type of men she's gone for. Older, well dressed, mature." Sucking in a deep breath, she went on. "The only guy her age she ever dated was Matt, her High School boyfriend, and, uh, he died from a football injury a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry," Fin said sadly.

"Yeah," Liv sighed. "Taylor took it pretty hard. But, uh. . ." She sent Amanda and Fin a weak smile. "I'll call Barba."

Turning on her heel, she moved a few steps away from Amanda and Fin, and brought up Rafael's number on her phone.

* * *

Rafael was still in his office when his phone rang on his desk and he looked over to see Olivia's name on the screen, a sight that caused him to sigh softly, before he answered it.

"Look, I'm sure you're upset, but it's not something she needs your permission on," he immediately began, assuming Taylor had told her he'd asked her out on a date, and she was calling about that.

"Barba, whatever you're talking about, I don't care," Olivia responded. "I just need you to get down to the hospital as soon as you can."

"Why?" Rafael inquired with a quirked brow. "New case that serious?"

"Uh, yeah," Olivia laughed softly, flicking a glance over at Amanda and Fin. "You could say that." Sucking in a deep breath, she went on. "Barba, it's Taylor. She, uh, she was attacked tonight."

Rafael's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and the breath caught so sharply in his throat he almost choked on it. "W-What? Is-Is she okay?"

"She's in surgery right now," Olivia responded. "And I know she'd want you here when she wakes up."

"I'm on my way," replied Rafael, hanging up, and rushing from his desk so quickly that most of the paperwork on it fell off, but he could not care less, Taylor was the priority.

* * *

"How is she?" Rafael demanded to know, as he came striding into the waiting room where Amanda, Fin, and Olivia were.

"She's still in surgery," Olivia, now sitting with Amanda at her side, while Fin continued to stand, responded with a gentle sigh.

"Amaro, Munch, and the Captain are still on the scene," added Fin.

Rafael sighed, before fixing the three with a questioning gaze. "What the Hell happened?"

"Caroline, one of Taylor's friends, said some guy was bothering her at the bar," Amanda answered. "When the two left, he and a buddy cornered them. One had a knife to Taylor's throat and the other, uh, shoved Caroline to the ground. Fortunately, Taylor had put a call in to Olivia just before they got grabbed, otherwise who knows what would've happened."

"We know what would've happened," Rafael growled softly in response. "They would've been raped and murdered just like every other woman that dares to reject some rich guy who's pockets are lined with Mommy and Daddy's money." Sighing softly, he looked away for a moment, before returning his gaze to the three. "Is Taylor's friend all right?"

"She's pretty shaken up," Amanda replied. "And we sent a Squad car to check on Mia, the other girl who went out with them. She left early, according to Caroline."

"What about the boys?" Barba asked next.

"Still in the wind," responded Fin. "They're bringing in dogs to sniff 'em out."

"Detective Benson?" came a voice, and all four looked over to see a male Doctor, in scrubs and a white lab coat, holding a file.

"Yes, that's me," Olivia said, getting to her feet, and walking over to the man. "How is she?"

"She's out of surgery," the Doctor responded. "We repaired the laceration to her neck as best we could, the knife cut pretty deep, and she lost a lot of blood, but I'm confident she'll make a full recovery."

Olivia nearly collapsed with relief and reached out to grasp the Doctor's nearest hand with both of her own, while, behind her, Amanda, Fin, and Barba experienced their own expressions of the emotion.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Of course," the Doctor responded, with a smile and a nod. "She's still unconscious, but I'll have someone come get you as soon as she wakes up."

Olivia nodded again and watched the Doctor leave, before she turned back to face Amanda, Barba, and Fin.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Caroline's Mother, Liz, a fellow NYPD Police Officer, had joined all those at the hospital. Caroline had sat down with a sketch artist and described the two young men as best she could, while Taylor was still recovering from surgery.

"Okay, we'll see you in a few hours," Olivia said, before she hung up with Taylor's Father, Bryan Mills, and turned back to face everybody in the waiting room. "He was finally able to get on a plane."

"What does Taylor's Dad do, anyway?" Amanda asked.

"Uh," Olivia laughed softly, as she sank down onto the couch next to Fin. "I really couldn't tell you. He was a Marine when he married my Mom, but he retired after Taylor was born, and started working for the CIA."

Liz soon approached those in the waiting room, weaving through the crowd of Cops gathered there in order to get to Olivia.

"Liz," Olivia said, rising back to her feet, when she noticed Caroline's Mother. "How's Caroline?"

"She's finally asleep," Liz responded. "The Doctors got her bloodwork back and her blood alcohol level is way beyond the legal limit. Not to mention she's got several drugs in her system."

"Yeah, I know," Olivia sighed. "They found the same with Taylor."

"Well, you know those boys are going to use that as an excuse for what they did," Liz responded, before scoffing softly. "If they're ever found."

"Liz, you know it doesn't matter what Caroline and Taylor were doing prior to the attack," Olivia said, holding up a hand to the fellow female Officer.

Caroline's Mother rolled her eyes. "Of course _**I**_ know that, but those boys' Defense Attorneys will use it against the girls, just like they always do."

"Ms. Forbes," Rafael spoke up, rising from his seat in the waiting room. "I'm A.D.A Rafael Barba and I promise you I won't let them get away with what they did. Those boys will pay."

"With all due respect, Mr. Barba, if you've been doing this anywhere close to as long as I have, then you'll know it doesn't matter how guilty someone is of a crime, if they have money and power, they can walk from even the most serious of charges," Liz responded.

Rafael sighed softly at the woman's words, which were, unfortunately, the truth, but he was going to do everything within his power, and everything outside of it as well, to make sure the bastards that hurt Taylor, as well as her friend, did not go unpunished.

* * *

Author's Notes - I hope you guys enjoyed it! A picture of Caroline's Mom has been added to my Profile. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes - You guys are amazing! Please keep up the reviews! Here's the next Chapter! Enjoy!

Mickey - Taylor is portrayed by Taylor Hill, or Taylor Marie Hill. She's an actress, model, and Victoria's Secret Angel. Her Instagram is taylor_hill. Also, I would delete the non chapters, but has this weird rule where you can only review a chapter once, so, if I deleted them, the actual chapters would move backwards, and the people who reviewed the slots they'd go to wouldn't be able to review the new chapters.

* * *

When Taylor opened her eyes, she found Olivia in a chair next to her hospital bed, gently holding her nearest slender hand, which had her IV catheter.

"Hey," Olivia smiled brightly, upon noticing Taylor gazing at her, sitting forward in her chair, and lifting her other hand to join the first in holding her little sister's delicate limb. "Hey, sweetie. It's okay. You're in the hospital. And you're going to be just fine. I promise."

Taylor expected her memory to be hazy, like you always heard in movies and on TV, but it wasn't. She remembered everything, from the knife cutting her neck, to being loaded into the ambulance, her big sister at her side.

"Is Caroline okay?" was the first thing she asked, the first thing she said. Her neck, which was much more properly bandaged, _**did**_ hurt, but nowhere near as much as she thought it would. Thank God for morphine.

"Yeah, she's fine," Olivia said, continuing to smile softly. She knew her friend would be Taylor's first and number one priority. "She's asleep. Her Mom's with her. We sent a Squad Car to Mia's hotel, she's safe. And your Dad's on his way here."

Taylor's eyes slipped closed in relief at her big sister's words and a couple of tears that had formed in her beautiful oceanic eyes slipped free.

"Hey, it's okay, sweetie," Olivia said, keeping her hold on Taylor's hand with one of hers, while she rose to her feet to use the other to gently wipe away her little sister's tears. "It's all over now. You're safe. You're _**both**_ safe." She laughed softly. "There's more Cops in this building than there are in the entire City."

Taylor gently lifted her other hand, which trembled slightly, and grasped Liv's wrist, gazing up at her once more. "The guys?"

Olivia sighed softly, before offering her little sister what she hoped was a comforting, reassuring smile. She'd held the hands of so many victims, had so many women and children, and even men, cry on her shoulder, but it was different now. This was her beloved baby sister, the one she swore she'd protect from all of the evil of this World that she sees on a daily basis at her job.

"We haven't found them yet," Olivia said, immediately going on when she felt Taylor's hand tighten on her wrist. "But we're _**going**_ to. I _**promise**_ you. We'll find them. But you're safe, baby girl. You're _**safe**_."

Taylor offered Olivia the strongest soft smile she could muster, an action that her older sibling returned, before she leaned down, and pressed a kiss to Taylor's forehead, doing her best to keep her own tears of relief at bay, not wanting her little sister to see her cry, at least not right now.

"I'm _**so**_ sorry, Liv," Taylor said, shaking her head ever so softly against the pillow.

"Oh, honey," Liv breathed, her brown eyes shimmering with the tears she was attempting to hold back. "You have _**nothing**_ to be sorry for." She brushed the back of her hand down Taylor's silky cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," responded Taylor, as she gingerly turned her head, and kissed Olivia's hand as best she could.

"Are you up for some visitors?" Olivia asked, with a quirked brow, after a moment.

Taylor gently nodded. "I think so."

"Okay," Olivia replied, giving Taylor's cheek a last loving rub, before releasing her hold on her hands, which she placed back down on the bed, then turned, and walked from the room.

Taylor slowly inhaled a deep, somewhat shuddered breath, then released it, just as the door to her room opened, and she looked over to see the very worried form of Rafael entering.

"Rafael," Taylor breathed, the strongest bright smile she could summon alighting her beautiful face, while she weakly lifted her IV catheter holding hand, and held it out to him.

He was at her side within two long strides of his legs, taking up her hand, which he lifted to his lips to kiss, while his other limb went to cup the top of her dark silky head. His beautiful emerald eyes were filled with tears of relief, as he closed them, and savored the feeling of her hand safely held in his, cradled against his face.

Taylor continued to smile softly, her own oceanic orbs filling with a fresh sheen of tears, as she looked up at him. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here," he responded, lowering her hand enough to talk, and gaze back at her, unable to hide the choked back tears from sounding in his voice, as he shrugged his shoulders. "Where else would I be?"

Leaning down, Rafael pressed a sweet little kiss to her forehead, holding her hand against his chest as he did so, and Taylor lifted her other hand to grasp at his suit covered bicep.

* * *

"It's not exactly how I imagined you meeting my Father," Taylor said, laughing softly at the look Rafael sent her. "But I'm sure he'll like you nonetheless."

"Yes, I hear so much about the Fathers who are happy to meet the men that are their age who are dating their daughters," Rafael scoffed softly. He was now sitting on the edge of Taylor's hospital bed, holding her nearest hand in his lap.

"My Dad's older than you, I promise," Taylor smiled softly. "And he's used to his daughter with older men."

Rafael gently stroked the back of her slender hand with his strong, warm thumb, having yet to release any hold on her, afraid, if he does so, she'll disappear.

"I could've lost you tonight," he said softly, lifting his becoming tear filled once more gaze from her hand to her own blue-green orbs, which were watching his every move, as if he completely fascinated her, which, in truth, he did.

"But you _**didn't**_ ," Taylor responded, giving his hand as strong a comforting, reassuring squeeze as possible. "I'm not that easy to get rid of, Rafael Barba." The soft smile that alit her beautiful face at her last statement faded. "Maybe I deserved this though."

"What?" Rafael exclaimed in disbelief, his dark brow furrowing. "How could you _**ever**_ deserve this?"

"Because of Matt," explained Taylor, going on when realization dawned on Rafael's handsome face. "I killed him."

"Taylor," Rafael began, shifting a bit on the bed to better face her, all the while never releasing his hold on her, simply shifting the hand of hers he held to his other limb, so that the first could rest on the opposite side of her body. "You did _**not**_ kill Matt. He was suffering, and asked you to end it for him. You did him a kindness. And you did _**not**_ deserve this." His eyes flicked to her bandage.

"Olivia always talks about how I'd be a good Cop," Taylor sighed, lifting her free hand to rest on Rafael's bicep. "I think that's why she wanted us to hang out tonight instead. But I couldn't even save my friend and myself from two asshole who don't know the meaning of rejection."

"You _**would**_ be a good Cop," Rafael responded. "And what happened tonight just proves that even more. Caroline, your friend, said how you remained calm, even when that bastard had a knife to your throat, and the other hand her on the ground, how you reassured her it would be okay. Things happen, Taylor, even the most prepared person can still end up in a bad situation."

Taylor smiled softly, her slender thumb instinctively beginning to gently stroke his upper arm through the material of his expensive suit.

"And look how you handled that case last week," Rafael went on. "You were with the Squad when I got the warrent for that God awful Foster house. You went with them and, when I got there to serve it, the first thing I saw was you carrying a little girl out of the Hellhole she'd been living in. She was clinging to you like you were an Angel sent from Heaven to rescue him. I've never seen that before."

Taylor continued to smile softly as she thought of the little girl she'd carried out of the house and to waiting EMTs. She'd felt so alive going on the raid with Olivia and the Squad, a gun, which she's been licensed to carry since turning 18, thanks to her Father, strapped to her jeans, and a temporary badge clipped to her belt.

"No matter what you do, whether you stay in law school, or you decide you'd like to apply to the Police Academy, I'll support you, I'll be proud of you," Rafael inhaled a slightly deep breath, before going on. "Because I love you. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you in Court. You own me, Taylor, body, mind, heart, and soul. Always."

Taylor's heart skipped a beat at his words, not in disbelief of them, but just as the simple action of hearing him say them. She smiled softly again and moved her hand up from his arm to cup one side of his handsome face, which she lovingly stroked with her delicate thumb.

"I love you too, Rafael," she responded, her oceanic orbs shimmering with tears of joy. " _ **So**_ much."

Rafael smiled softly himself, his heart flooding with a renewed wave of happiness and love at hearing her return the declaration of the latter, and leaned down, where he gently captured her lush pink lips with his own in a kiss she immediately returned.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes - Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay. Anyway, here's the next Chapter! Enjoy, and, as always, please review!

* * *

When Taylor woke up the next morning, she found Olivia sleeping in a chair on one side of her bed, and Rafael doing the same in a chair on the other side of her bed, Olivia's legs brought up onto the seat with her, while Rafael was using his suit jacket as a blanket, and both of them were holding one of Taylor's hands.

Smiling softly, she gently pulled her delicate limbs free from theirs, and tucked them back with their owners, before as quietly as possible, pushing the covers off of herself, then climbing from the bed. Every part of her ached and she desperately needed to get up, stretch, and walk around.

Despite knowing she shouldn't, she pulled the IV needle from her hand. She was glad to see they'd unhooked her from the blood at some point during the night. She had a rare blood type, O Negative.

Slinging the tube over the IV stand, she grabbed two blankets from the room's closet, unfolded them, then draped one over Olivia, and the other over Rafael, smiling softly at their continued sleeping forms, before she slipped out the door.

It was still early in the morning, not even 7:00am, and a few Cops were still in the waiting room, including Fin, but she went the opposite way as to where they were, quietly walking down the hall in her white sock clad feet.

Her hair was up in a bun and she wore a white v-neck t-shirt and blue PJ pants. She lifted a hand to her bandaged neck and flinched slightly at the stab of pain is caused her.

Taylor moved her hand to her hair and pulled the long silky brown tresses free with one flick of her wrist, which she put the black hair tie around, before positioning her hair to cover up her neck. She hated that it was most likely going to scar. When she'd first gotten her driver's license, she'd been a typical ignorant teenager, and left off her seat belt, then was rear ended by someone, causing her forehead to slam into, and break the glass of, the windshield. It left a huge gash, that is only gone now because her Father had her go to a Plastic Surgeon. Maybe she could do that for her neck, but perhaps she needed this scar to remain, as a reminder of what happened, a reminder of what happens to women every day, not just in the city, but all over the World, and a reminder of why she wants to do what Olivia and Rafael do.

She wondered if Caroline was still here. She figured the Doctors would've wanted to keep her friend overnight for observation, but Care's Mother could be pretty persuading, so it wouldn't surprise Taylor if Liz was able to take her daughter home last night.

Taylor wished she had her phone, so she could call her friends, and see how they all were. She also wanted to know if the two boys had been caught, but all of that would mean talking and thinking about what happened, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

Flicking a glance over her shoulder, just to make sure no one had seen her, she was just turning to face forward again, as she went to turn a corner, when she ran into something tall, sturdy, and warm.

"And where do you think _**you're**_ going?" said a familiar deep voice.

Taylor looked up into the face of the person it belonged to and nearly collapsed at the sight of who it was.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears, before she threw her arms around his neck.

Bryan Mills effortlessly caught his baby girl, as she jumped up into his embrace, securely wrapping his arms around her, his own orbs filling with tears of joy, love, and relief, while he held her.

"It's okay, baby girl," he muttered, soon lifting a hand to cup the back of her head, as she sobbed into his shoulder. "It's okay. I've got you." Releasing a shuddered breath, he pressed a kiss to her temple, before simply holding her once more. "Thank God you're safe."

* * *

Bryan and Taylor walked back to the latter's hospital room, which Olivia, followed by Rafael, were just emerging from, both looking panicked, while Liv had her phone in hand, as if she was about to put the building on alert for her missing little sister.

"Taylor," Olivia breathed in relief upon seeing her, before quirking a dark brow. "Are you trying to give us another heart attack?"

"I'm sorry, Liv," Taylor smiled. "I just had to get out of that room."

"Fortunately, I caught her before she escaped," Bryan said, causing Olivia and Rafael to notice the man with Taylor.

"Bryan," Olivia said on another breath of relief, before stepping forward to hug the man with one arm. "I'm so glad you're here."

"It's good to see you, Liv," responded Bryan, hugging the woman back with the arm he didn't have currently wrapped around his daughter's shoulders.

"It's good to see you too," said Olivia, as the two parted ways, which is when she remembered Rafael was standing next to her, so she used the hand holding her phone to indicate the man. "Uh, Bryan, this is A.D.A. Rafael Barba."

Bryan shifted his gaze onto Rafael and offered the man his free hand, as well as a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barba." He flicked a glance down at Taylor. "My daughter's told me a lot about you."

Rafael shook the man's hand, anything he was going to say in greeting held off by Taylor's Father's next words, to which he quirked a brow, as he flicked a glance at her.

"She has?" he inquired, before returning his gaze to Bryan, once Taylor sent him a look. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Mills. I've heard a lot of great things about you, from both your daughter, and Detective Benson."

Taylor couldn't help but smile softly to herself as her Father and Rafael met for the first time.

* * *

"'My daughter's told me a lot about you'?" Rafael asked, as he and Taylor walked back into her hospital room, Bryan and Olivia going off to talk, as well as find out the status of the boys from the previous night.

Taylor giggled, she and Rafael now had an arm around one another, while they walked, she allowing him to guide her back to bed.

"It's better than, 'So, you're the guy doing my daughter.', isn't it?" she responded, with a dark brow quirked over a sparkling eye.

Rafael scoffed, his cheeks tinging ever so slightly pink at her words about a step in their relationship they've yet to take.

"Except I'm not 'doing you' yet," he replied, helping her into the bed, then settling the covers over her.

"Well, you will," Taylor smirked, which earned her a fresh look from Rafael.

"I'm going to go get us some coffee," Rafael said, as he made sure she was comfortable. "Do you want anything else?"

"Proper food," responded Taylor.

"I'll have to go somewhere other than Starbucks for that, but I'll do my best," he joked, causing Taylor to laugh, which made him smile, as he leaned in, and captured her lips in a quick kiss. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay," Taylor said.

She watched him leave her room, closing the door behind him, before she grabbed the remote off of her nightstand, and turned on the TV, then sank down in her bed, glad to be free of the confines of the IV and blood being hooked up to her.

* * *

Taylor didn't know how long it was before she fell asleep, but when she felt someone trying to wake her, she figured it'd be hours.

"Hey," said a voice, as a hand gently shook her. "Hey, wake up."

Groaning softly, Taylor lifted a hand to rub at her eyes, as she rolled over in her bed to face the direction the voice was coming from.

"Wake up," the voice repeated. "Come on. Wake up, please."

Taylor cracked open her eyes, and the beautiful blue orbs were soon widening in fear, when she saw, standing next to her bed, the guy from the previous night, the one who had slit her throat.

"Hey! Hey, hey hey!" he said, as she immediately began to push herself up and away from him, sure she was dreaming. "Don't freak out. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Taylor parted her lips and screamed as loud as she could, causing the boy to panic further, and flick a glance around, even as he tried to quiet her.

It wasn't even 10 seconds later, when the door to the room burst open, and Bryan, Olivia, and Fin, with two uniformed officers behind them, came in, guns drawn.

"Police! Don't move!" Olivia commanded. "Back away from the bed! Get down on the floor! Down on your knees! Hands up!"

The boy did as he was told, but still continued to ramble on. "Please don't hurt me! I'm-I'm sorry! I just needed her to know I was sorry!" He turned and looked over at Taylor, as Fin grabbed him by the back of his jacket, and forced him onto his stomach on the floor. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you! You gotta believe me! Please!"

"Shut up!" Fin exclaimed, making sure Olivia had her gun on him, before he holstered his weapon, and reached for his cuffs. "You're under arrest."

Bryan tucked his gun away and swiftly moved around to the other side of the bed to his daughter. "Baby, are you okay?"

"That's him," Taylor said, as her Dad reached out to comfort her. "That's the one from last night."

"Hear that, dirt bag?" Fin asked, hauling the now cuffed boy to his feet. "That's called a Positive ID. You're under arrest for assault."

"No!" the boys exclaimed. "No, I didn't mean it! It was an accident! Please!"

Rafael came into the room just then, he'd abandoned the coffee and food he'd brought for he and Taylor when he saw everybody crowded into Taylor's room, where shouting was heard.

His eyes were wide and his heart was beating way faster than he should, but he stayed back, and allowed Fin and the two uniformed officers to lead the handcuffed boy out, once he saw Taylor was safe in her bed, her Dad, and soon Liv, at her side.

"Taylor," Rafael spoke, swiftly moving over to her, and reaching out for her. "Are you all right?"

Taylor nodded, lifting her hands to grasp Rafael's extended one. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"We need to sweep the building," Bryan stated to Olivia. "Make sure the other boy isn't here."

Olivia nodded in agreement, as she holstered her weapon. "I'll call Liz too, make sure she and Caroline are all right."

Bryan nodded in agreement this time, and they both made sure Taylor was all right with them leaving, before they actually did so.

Rafael rubbed Taylor's back through the material of her t-shirt with one hand, while his other limb held hers, and the two watched her Father and sister leave.

"Please don't leave me again," Taylor said.

It was a bit later, there was no sign of the other guy in the hospital, and Caroline and her Mother were safe. Rafael sat in a chair beside Taylor's bed, the two of them holding hands.

"Oh, mi amor," Rafael breathed sadly, immediately sitting forward in his chair, and gently tightening his hold on her hand, then placing his other on top of the two. "Where else would I go?"

Taylor returned his soft smile, placing her own other hand on their joined now three ones, and he lifted her delicate limbs to his lips to kiss.

"Hold me until I fall asleep?" she asked with a quirked brow.

Rafael didn't need to vocally responded. He merely sent her a smile and a loving look, then nodded, before pulling his hands free of hers, in order to stand up, where he removed his suit jacket, undid the buttons of his dress shirt at his wrist, rolled up his sleeves, and finally pulled off his dress shoes, before he climbed into bed with Taylor, who opened up the covers for him, while she moved over to make room for him.

Taylor laid on her side, facing the window of her hospital room, and Rafael laid down on his side, behind her, wrapping one arm, which she grasped with her hand, around her waist, while the other rested above her dark silky head on the pillow.

Rafael pressed a kiss into her hair, then nuzzled his nose into the lush tresses, gently tightening his hold on her, as she did the same to him, and the two settled in to go to sleep.

* * *

Short and sweet chapter, I know. I plan on Taylor leaving the hospital next Chapter! :)


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